1

Brooke Edwards
Neil Schaefer
Academic Literacy and Ethos: Environment and Society
December 11, 2023
From Tracks to Trail?

A1a Proposal #1: The proposal to build an 8.05-mile rail trail going from Santa Cruz

south towards Rio Del Mar next to the train tracks will create a safe and effective way to walk

along the coast while still being able to revamp the train tracks for a future passenger rail line,

creating what citizens call the “ultimate” plan, appendix A. This plan is presented by Guy

Preston, the executive director of Santa Cruz County’s Regional Transportation Commission.

A1b Proposal #2: The second proposal to scrap the train tracks and create a trail on top

allows for a beautiful walking trail lasting the whole eight miles from Santa Cruz down to Aptos

without needing any expansion of the previous train route, creating what’s said to be the

“Greenway” trail plan, appendix B. This proposal had over 13,000 valid signatures (Erikson,

May 3, 2022, p. 10) and was presented by local nonprofit Santa Cruz County Greenway Inc.

A2 Context and Historical Background: The initial plan to build a railroad was

introduced back in 1869, but the tracks weren’t finished until 1874 for many reasons.

Hibble (August 13, 2021, p. 9) says:

“Frederick Hihn, (Heen), Santa Cruz’s first self-made millionaire, made his money as a
merchant and in real estate. (Many of the millionaires at that time had made their money
as merchants, mostly in food and hardware). Hihn was also the State Assemblyman for
Santa Cruz County. In 1869, Hihn helped to organize a railroad committee to discuss
their options. After much debate, county voters came out in support of the Santa Cruz &
Watsonville Railroad bond measure in 1871. The idea was that the County would finance
the line and the Southern Pacific would take it over. The vote was not supported by those
in Watsonville as they already had access to the Southern Pacific Railroad in Pajaro.”
The project took a while to kick start because railroad supporters found themselves funding the

project with little subsidy from the County. This caused the tracks to be built in three years and

with a narrow gauge line, which is the width between the inside faces of the running rails (Goyal,

February 4, 2022, para #3). The County only agreed on terms of paying $5,000 after every five
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miles that were constructed. This was difficult because Watsonville, a town south of Aptos,

disapproved of the railroad. Watsonville already had the Southern Pacific Railroad in Pajaro.

Since Watsonville was not willing to pay for another railroad, the tracks were forced ½ mile west

into Pajaro, avoiding Watsonville altogether and contradicting the previous plans. After a

disastrous winter in March of 1876, Hihn had decided it was necessary to adjust the route back

into Watsonville creating the tracks we see today (All the information in this paragraph is derived

from Hibble, August 13, 2021, p. 9-16).

On top of these challenges the railroad faced in its early construction days, it also faced

much backlash while it ran. Residents complained about the smoke and noise the train produced.

These worries were emphasized because, at the time, citizens were already growing nervous

about creating a city that felt too industrial. Along with losing citizen support, the smaller gauge

that was used for the tracks meant that the train cars were not interchangeable, so all the freight

and passengers had to be transferred to different trains once it met the Southern Pacific Railroad

at Pajaro. The trials didn’t end there. The train tracks were gradually getting washed away and

completely lost in some areas as time went on. Ultimately, the railroad stopped operations in

February of 1881, after not even running for ten years (All the information in this paragraph is

derived from Hibble, August 13, 2021, p. 18-28).

Erikson (May 3, 2022, para. # 3) states that the railroad still stands today but remains a

single track, extremely windy and narrow. It traverses over 25 creeks, rivers, and gullies, causing

extensive erosion along the corridor. Several bridges would need to be repaired or replaced to be

able to function.

As for my connection to the Santa Cruz Railroad, most of the railroad falls along the

coast, but when it reaches my hometown of Aptos, it swings towards the town causing me to
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drive by it or on it every time I go home. I always see people walking along the abandoned

railroad, surrounded by overgrown shrubs, just enjoying a peaceful walk with beautiful scenery.

A3 Other Key Elements of the Proposal:

● It has become less of a debate about whether they are creating a trail and more of what

kind of trail they will create. Pros and cons correlate to both the ultimate and Greenway

trail plans, but it comes down to the amount of money officials want to spend on the

renovation.

● Measure D was introduced by Greenway Initiative, a non-profit organization, in

November 2016 and was dedicated to railbanking, a way to protect the train’s corridor

while still allowing the trail to be built. The vote for Measure D was held on June 7,

2022. The results are as follows

Yes 20616 (26.79%)

No 56342 (73.21%)
Stephanie Baxter informs residents that “Measure D’s passage would not stop planning for the
rail trail or passenger rail, according to the legal opinion of the County Counsel Jason Heath and
Regional Transportation Commission attorney Steven Mattas. Decisions on planning for the rail
trail and passenger rail will be made by a majority vote of members of the Regional
Transportation Commission” (Baxter, July 7, 2022, p 6).

● With these results, Santa Cruz citizens want to keep the tracks for potential future use but

halt putting any more provisions towards that end goal. This means that people want a

trail while making no further changes to the tracks. Thus, the trail will be placed next to

the tracks without any more work on fixing the railroad.

● Although a train system sounds useful, as of now establishing funds seems nearly

impossible to restore the system properly. Keeping the tracks as they are now, though,

will allow for more time and money to accumulate over the next decades. This will make
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the future building process much more manageable, which is why the ultimate option is

still a contender.

● Construction of the “rail trail” began in July 2022, but due to several storms conflicting

with the project, the construction has to be done in segments. Segments 8 and 9 are

expected to start in 2026. These segments go from Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz to 17th

Avenue in Live Oak, resulting in 2.2 miles of rail trail. Construction for segments 10 and

11 will begin in 2026. These will go from 17th Avenue in Live Oak to State Park Drive in

Seacliff, adding on 4.6 miles. “These two segments of the Coastal Rail Trail connect to

ten schools, 18 parks, 13 public beaches, two community centers, and multiple residential

neighborhoods and commercial areas through some of the densest portions of Santa Cruz

County” (Tidmore, December 8, 2022, p. 1).

● The trail segment that starts in Aptos, my hometown, will begin construction in 2025 as

long as the necessary funding is provided. Segment 12 will go from State Park Drive in

Seacliff to Rio Del Mar Boulevard, adding one and a quarter miles, creating the 8.05-mile

trail from Santa Cruz to Aptos.

B: Arguments For Proposal 1 (ultimate) and Against Proposal 2 (Greenway)

Environmental context supporting the ultimate plan and against the Greenway plan is that

if a future train is funded, car pollution will be cut down because a new source of transportation

will have arisen. People can step away from their cars and explore new public transportation that

allows for lower amounts of greenhouse gasses.

Creating direct train transportation from Watsonville up to Santa Cruz can make

commuting more accessible while also alleviating road traffic. This Highway 1 “road traffic” is a

problem that Santa Cruz citizens have complained about. These jams cause idling cars to emit
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harmful greenhouse gasses while wasting time away from loved ones, hobbies, jobs, or school. If

a train was put in place, the number of car accidents would decrease significantly, considering

there’s less traffic going one way or another. Currently, there are roughly 117,500 roundtrips per

day on Highway 1, and a train is a solution to lower this amount (Baxter, March 2021, page #

24). Not all people will want or even be able to walk or bike on the trail to get to work. Even

with the excessive traffic on Hwy 1, people could still end up preferring driving over walking

home after a busy day at work. People can take in the views and get around in a timely manner

with a train.

Along with commuting, the Santa Cruz rail line would be integrated with the future

Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) and California State Rail Plan passenger

rail services. This would connect Pajaro Station to Monterey along with locations in southern

and northern California. TAMC is actively pursuing passenger rail service to Monterey County

providing both local commute and greater regional access to San Francisco, San Jose, and

Gilroy. This would be possible through utilizing DRAFT 2-10 Union Pacific’s Coast Mainline

tracks between Gilroy and Salinas. Future phases of the TAMC project would need to include a

new station at Pajaro/Watsonville, which would connect the passenger rail to the Santa Cruz

branch line, and a new station in Castroville, enabling a connection to the Monterey branch line.

(All the information in this paragraph is derived from Baxter, March 2021, page # 13-14).

Using a trail as a replacement for driving is unrealistic and unreliable. Although Santa

Cruz and Aptos have some of the best weather year-round, they do have their fair share of cold

and rainy days. On those days, people would have to find an alternative to walking, which

creates a chaotic morning and can cause some to arrive late. A train would be able to go
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consistently, no matter the forecast. Waking up and knowing that people have to walk to work or

school could make those activities a dread without even accounting for what those events entail.

Having a trail with a train will preserve the natural landscape while also supplying

transportation. Driving on the highway for hours each week can be a hassle, but with a train

immersed in our coastline’s beauty, people will get to experience new views, creating an overall

more enjoyable commute. A train route allows for improved access to Santa Cruz for the

residents in Watsonville who commute daily for jobs in the service and construction industries,

potentially unclogging commuter traffic on Highway 1. A study done in 2019 conducted by the

Regional Transportation Commission showed that the ultimate plan would amount to $230,000

fewer vehicle miles traveled daily compared to the trail-only plan. This statistic would amount to

84 million fewer miles traveled by car per year, ultimately decreasing pollution. On top of that,

with fewer cars, traffic crashes would decrease, overall saving the County an estimated $78

million a year (Holder, June 15, 2022, para. #9).

Additionally, 85 million dollars was given to the California Transportation Commission

(CTC), from the state, specifically to fund the corridors, which include the rail. So, by tearing up

the tracks, Santa Cruz citizens are breaking a promise to use that money for a train. The CTC

passed Proposition 116, which granted the money that paid for the Santa Cruz Branch Line. (All

the information in this paragraph is derived from Johnson, E. July 1, 2022, para. #12-17).

A 15-minute school drop-off can turn into 35 within a matter of minutes due to traffic. A

train system would be consistent, allowing for a predictable schedule that could provide relief to

busy parents. It would avoid the traffic while still getting to the places you need to get to.

According to the new Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis and Rail Network Integration

Study, the Santa Cruz Branch rail line lies within 1 mile of 92 parks, 42 schools, and about half
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of the County’s residents, causing it to be a valuable infrastructure asset (Pierce, November 17

2020 para #2).

Regular maintenance would have to be done to keep the trail up and running. Littering is

a big issue today, and who is to say the trail will not become trashed. Sanitation workers would

have to add new trash cans, making their jobs harder. No matter how hard penalties are pushed,

there is no way to ensure the litter will not be scattered along the trail, adding to the already big

pollution problem.

Some parts around Aptos have been affected by homelessness. It would be hard to ensure

the trail isn’t used for the wrong purposes. A direct pathway going all eight miles could support

the spread of homelessness to places that once didn’t have this issue. Santa Cruz and surrounding

cities have been dedicated to decreasing homelessness and homeless camps in the past year.

Around $1.2 million has been put towards closing around 300 tents lining the streets of Santa

Cruz County. With a decrease in housing opportunities, homeless people will have to resort to

impractical places to stay. With that, there is a possibility of using the trail as a smooth, well-lit

ground for tents (York, November 2, 2022 para #8).

The tracks have been a part of Santa Cruz’s history since 1874. By scrapping them, a

piece of the past citizens’ hard work and persistence goes with it. The tracks portray a historical

memory that would have been forgotten if it was not for their standing today. Although it’s

impossible to create a functioning train now, keeping the train tracks will allow for future use.

Nationwide, it’s unprecedented for a railroad service to return after the tracks have already been

removed and paved over (Heath, June 2022, p.16). If a trail were to be placed on top, any

opportunities for train travel would be taken away forever.

C: Arguments For Proposal 2 (Greenway) and Against Proposal 1 (ultimate)

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The critical environmental context for the Greenway plan and against the ultimate plan is

that with a trail, some people may choose to walk or bike around the cities, decreasing the

amount of pollution overall. Burning gas equates to releasing formaldehyde, carbon monoxide,

nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and hydrocarbons when driving. These are the most common

greenhouse gasses humans produce (Forster, November 28, 2023, para # 2). Investing in

zero-emission, human-powered transportation can provide a healthy and clean environment that

Santa Cruz County citizens can be proud of.

When turning the tracks into a trail, citizens can benefit from walking through and

learning to appreciate their environment while also getting some exercise. On top of that, as the

global population grows, space availability for parking will decrease, causing walking to be an

alternative, and with this trail, citizens will be able to make it from one town to the next (Baxter

February 19, 2022, para #22). This will decrease the need for cars to simply get to a place within

walking distance that was once deemed as an unsafe walk. According to a video interview with

the Dawson family, a family that lives in Capitola, a town affected by both plans, they support

the Greenway plan because parents will be more willing to allow youth to stay out later knowing

they have a direct car-free route home that is equipped with lights creating a safer community

(Dawson, November, 29, 2023, second 16-29).

Death surrounding railroads has been proven to increase, specifically involving the

homeless. According to Scheier (January 27, 2020), train deaths have become a recent side effect

of California’s unmet need for affordable shelter. As homeless people are becoming less tolerated

in parks and City sidewalks, they are forced to seek refuge in unsafe areas like along a railroad

system. In 2013, the number of people hurt or killed on a rail line was 170. Just five years later,

in 2018, the number surged to 254, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. A train
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system could also increase suicide from locomotives and deaths from unattentive walkers

equipped with headphones.

To top off some of the environmental consequences, if a trail was placed next to the

railroad, heritage trees would need to be cut down to create more space, which could make the

space look more industrialized and take away some of Santa Cruz’s natural-grown beauty. To

complete segment 9 of the ultimate plan, it is projected that over 400 trees will have to be cut

down and removed which will, in turn, disrupt the living soil along the 1.6 mile corridor (Lewis,

November 30, 2022). Considering that over 400 trees will be cut down in just 1.6 miles, well

over a thousand trees will have to be cut down for all eight miles.

Construction is required to create a usable track. This construction will add to the

pollution and noise pollution that homeowners did not sign up for. Construction would be needed

to widen the trail to create space for both a railroad and a trail. Fences must also be placed on

both sides to ensure the walker’s safety and keep the trail safe from the tracks. These added

renovations would invade the surrounding environment, causing the loss of animal habitats and

established plants.

Some more key factors in favor of the Greenway plan are if train tracks are put to use in

the future, riding fares may be a drawback for “disadvantaged and underserved communities”

(Baxter 2022, February 19 para. #14). With riding fares estimated to be around $4.50 one way

and $9 round trip, the average commuter would pay about $45 a week which could hurt the

people who need this system the most (Cueto & Pickett, February 8, 2021). To add to the money

factor, the renovation of the train tracks will require more funds than what is provided now. This

money would be acquired by taxes, which could take a toll on lower-income families that may
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not even favor the train system. On top of that, if landlords are taxed more, rent would increase

for citizens.

These factors point towards the Greenway because Doug Erickson (2022, May 3, para #

1) says that after putting in millions of dollars and decades of studies, the RTC (the people who

own the rail corridor) found a train to be “financially infeasible” as of now. This fact is due to

having to replace all the rails and about ¾ of the rail ties, which would cost approximately 1.3

billion dollars to construct, operate, and maintain over the next thirty years. As for the ultimate, it

would cost about $215 million. This would fall onto the County’s citizens in the form of taxes.

These funds could also be taken away from our current transportation systems like Metro,

ParaCruz, and Highway 1. (All the information in this paragraph is derived from Erickson, May

3, 2022 para. # 10-16).

With tracks, there will be more maintenance needed. Daily checks on the train would be

required, and workers would have to keep a close eye on the fuel levels to ensure the safety of

the riders. Employees would have to be trained to drive a train, which could be intimidating and

hard to find someone up to that challenge. The salary of the conductors could also be costly on

citizens’ taxes, overall causing the maintenance of a trail to be more manageable.

If we focus on creating an equitable trail, there can be an expansion and modernization of

the metro bus system because more funds can be put towards that. If we have a working bus

system, there will be no need for the extra expense on a train system.

The Greenway plan would take approximately seven years to finish while the rail trail

plan will take around 25 more years (McNussen, March 10, 2021). People want to be able to use

this system promptly, and having to wait could take away benefits that could be given sooner.
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People want to experience this transformation in their childhood or even lifetime, and Greenway

is making that possible.

The trail and track expansion would take a financial toll on Santa Cruz. McNussen

(March 10, 2021), an engineer and railroader for 37 years, knows trains and the Santa Cruz

branch line well. He feels that if a train were to be put here, there would not be enough

right-of-way on either side to accommodate “pedestrians and bicycles, moms with baby

carriages, and a train running back and forth.”

Greenway allows people to get moving now while still allowing for transportation

through walking, biking, running, and, but not limited to, skateboarding. With this trail and

without the track, there will be sufficient space for all physical activities.

D Bibliography

Thorne, N |, S. C. (2023, June 20).| Trail options: Measure D did not decide a train. Santa Cruz
Sentinel.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/06/20/guest-commentary-trail-options-measure-d-did-n
ot-decide-a-train/

Hibble, J. (2021, August 13) The Santa Cruz Rail Road, Built by Giants – Aptos History
Museum. https://aptoshistory.org/?p=589

Baxter, S. (2022, February 19). Rail trail plans detailed from Santa Cruz to Aptos. Santa Cruz
Local. https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/02/18/rail-trail-plans-detailed-from-santa-cruz-to-aptos/

The primary purpose of this text is to inform Santa Cruz County residents about the
details of the potential rail trail from Santa Cruz to Aptos. This article does not take a stand. This
author is reliable because he has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
He’s a fourth generation Californian who resides in Santa Cruz and helped establish the Santa
Cruz Local in 2019. This author quotes others often to share thoughts from both sides. His
qualifications include working on the Business Plan for Electric Passenger Rail on the Santa
Cruz Branch Rail Line which was the written plans for the Santa Cruz Rail line specifically for
the County. He has also written many other articles relating to the rail- trail plans. Considering he
wrote the draft for the rail plan, I believe he favors the ultimate plan.
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Kathan, J. (2023, March 21). Rail-trail permits approved in Santa Cruz, part of Live Oak. Santa
Cruz Local.
https://santacruzlocal.org/2023/03/21/rail-trail-permits-approved-in-santa-cruz-part-of-live-oak/

Hattis, P. (2023, October 17) Santa Cruz County releases draft impact report for rail trail
segments 10 and 11. Santa Cruz Sentinel.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2023/10/17/santa-cruz-county-releases-draft-impact-report-fo
r-rail-trail-segments-10-and-11/

Erikson, D. (2022, May 3). The Story Behind the Santa Cruz County Rail-trail. Santa Cruz
Works. https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/the-story-behind-the-santa-cruz-county-rail-trail

Tidmore, R. (2022, December 8). Coastal Rail Trail Segments 10 and 11 Project. Rail Trail.
https://www.dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Home/TransportationRoads/CoastalRailTrail.aspx

Forster, Melanie. (2022). Reducing car pollution - Washington State Department of Ecology.
Ecology.wa.gov.
https://ecology.wa.gov/Issues-and-local-projects/Education-training/What-you-can-do/Reducing-
car-pollution#:~:text=Burning%20gasoline%20and%20diesel%20fuel

The primary purpose of this text is to inform how to reduce the pollution from vehicles.
This author is reliable because it was written by Melanie Forster who is an environmental
specialist for the Washington State Department of Ecology who graduated from the University of
Oklahoma. She is often citing other sources for more details on a specific word or topic. She also
added in related links that go further in specific fuel reduction options. This source is unbiased
because it is talking about the general facts of vehicle pollution rather than the specific Santa
Cruz car pollution and if a train or trail will alleviate any of it. Since she works for the
Washington State government, she may have more of a democratic point of view because
Washington is a democratic state, causing her to have a more urgent take on climate change and
pollution.

McNussen, D. (2021, March 10). Dave McNussen talks about Greenway in Santa Cruz County.
Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhokXncrXt4&t=5s

The primary purpose of this video source is to inform non-Greenway voters that a train is
not feasible financially. This takes a stand for the “Greenway” plan and against the “ultimate”
plan. This source is from the Santa Cruz County Greenway Incrorative website, causing it to be
biased for the Greenway plan. The man being interviewed, Dave McNussen, has been a railroad
engineer for 37 years for both the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Santa Cruz branch line,
making him a reliable source to get railroad information. He doesn’t cite any other sources and
he is representing Greenway, causing him to only share the pros to Greenway and the cons to the
Ultimate plan which could affect the viewpoint of a viewer if they don’t do any further research
on the topic. I feel it’s also important to point out that he works on railroads and still doesn’t
believe it’s a good idea to have one in Santa Cruz.
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Dawson, D. (2021, March 13). The Dawsons talk about Greenway. Www.youtube.com.
https://youtu.be/Aj_eBmnu04Y?feature=shared

Goyal, S. (2022, February 1). What is Broad Gauge, Metre Gauge and Narrow Gauge in Indian
Railway? Jagranjosh.com.
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/what-are-broad-gauge-metre-gauge-and-narrow-
gauge-in-indian-railway-1539607026-1

Lewis, M. (2022, November 30). Save Santa Cruz Trees. Save Santa Cruz Trees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkCdefWCcP4

Johnson, E. (2022, July 1). Why I Support the Santa Cruz Rail Trail and Oppose the Greenway
Initiative. California Local.
https://californialocal.com/localnews/about/blog/5762-why-i-support-the-santa-cruz-rail-trail-an
d-oppose-the-greenway-initiative/

Heath, J. (2022, June). Full Text of Measure D (R. Márquez, Ed.) [Review of Full Text of
Measure D].
Https://Votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov/Home/Elections/June2022CaliforniaPrimaryElection/
LocalMeasuresJune2022/D-CountyGreenway/D-CountyGreenwayAnalysis622.Aspx.

Baxter, S. (2021). Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis & Rail Network Integration Study
Business Plan for Electric Passenger Rail on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20530702-passenger-rail-business-plan-santa-cruz-c
ounty-regional-transportation-commission-march-2021

Scheier, R. (2020, January 27). As California’s homeless people camp out along railroad tracks,
train-related deaths are rising. Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-27/california-homelessness-train-deaths

Pierce, J. (2020, November 17). Why a New Transit Plan Supports Santa Cruz Commuter Train.
Good Times. https://www.goodtimes.sc/alternatives-analysis-plan-supports-santa-cruz-rail/

Holder, S. (2022, June 15). A California Beach Town Holds Out Hope for a Rail Comeback.
Bloomberg.com.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-15/a-california-beach-town-holds-out-hope-f
or-a-rail-comeback

Cueto, I., & Pickett, M. (2021, February 8). How much will rail cost, and is it worth it? Santa
Cruz County’s 4 mayors, others weigh in. Lookout Santa Cruz.
https://lookout.co/rail-trail-cost-santa-cruz-county-dutra-meyers/

York, J. (2022, November 2). Santa Cruz conducts final homeless camp closure. Santa Cruz
Sentinel.
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2022/11/01/santa-cruz-conducts-final-homeless-camp-closure
/
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Appendix A

Appendix B
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