Ultimate Trail News Today

"Rail consultants have stated that in order to meet the travel time requirements from Watsonville to Santa Cruz, a new passenger train would need to reach speeds of up to 60 mph. However, the topographical challenges of the Branch Line make it difficult to achieve these desired speeds while also accommodating a trail," writes Brian Peoples in a Guest Commentary.

"Don’t be misled by the never-ending cries for the Interim and Trail Only options," write Justin Cummings and Andy Schiffrin in a Guest Commentary. "Any attempts to pursue them will be fruitless and the opportunity for a safe, protected pedestrian and bicycle path through the county will be lost."

Columnist Stephen Kessler lists satirical headlines to look for in the new year.

Jim Weller’s Dec. 13 condescending response to Jean Brocklebank’s Dec. 7 Guest Commentary on mobile home residents that will be displaced by the Ultimate Trail Plan states “facts” that just aren’t true. Measure D’s defeat in 2022 literally meant that Greenway’s proposed changes to the county’s Transportation Element of the General Plan were not adopted. […]

Jean Brocklebank’s Dec. 7 Guest Commentary about the impacts of the rail and trail plan on mobile home park residents fails to mention several key points. First, the RTC is planning to reclaim our public property from people who built structures on land they do not own (encroachment) no matter what version of the trail […]

In his Dec. 13 Guest Commentary, “A response on Ultimate Trail encroachments,” Jim Weller writes “The Ultimate rail-and-trail option is definitely preferred among elected officials and policy makers.” He leaves out in his own municipality of Capitola — they are not building the Ultimate Trail, rather an Interim one, that loops through the lower village […]

"As the environmental impact reports for trail building in the rail corridor make their way through Santa Cruz County communities, one segment at a time, picking up speed like a train out of control, the reality of the impacts is becoming clearer," writes Jean Brocklebank. "Consider the latest consequential impacts to low-income mobile home park residents, living adjacent to the corridor, whose lives will be turned upside down."

A letter writer (Nov. 19) opines that “Railbanking would have helped gridlock.” The writer then follows this falsehood with effusive praise for RTC Executive Director Guy Preston and his vision for railbanking. Railbanking is required for a trail-only option over the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (SCBRL). The author, who is a vocal proponent for […]

We are saddened by the unexpected retirement announcement by RTC ED Guy Preston. Guy has been exceptional in delivering real transportation solutions and his departure will be painful for our community. Guy was only a few months into his second term as RTC ED with many great transportation infrastructure projects moving forward. We believe that […]

/PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of debuting its innovative Polaris XPEDITION and the all new Extreme Duty RANGER XD 1500, Polaris Off Road today unveiled updates...