Project Background
Each of three main elements of the proposed project — auxiliary lanes, bus-on-shoulder features, and Coastal Rail Trail segment – are being developed based on previous studies and larger efforts to improve mobility within the region, as described below:
- Auxiliary lanes – This is the fourth auxiliary lane project included in the Highway 1 Corridor Investment Program. An auxiliary lane connects a highway on-ramp with the next off-ramp, thereby extending the weaving and merging distance between the ramps, improving traffic operations, and reducing cut-through traffic diverting to local streets and neighborhoods.
You can learn about the Highway 1 Corridor Program, and other auxiliary lane projects, by clicking here
- Bus-on-shoulder features – To help keep public transit competitive with single-occupant vehicles under congested traffic conditions, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and other agency partners have proposed bus-on-shoulder operations during peak congestion periods. However, this will require improvements to the Highway 1 shoulders, which lack the width and pavement structural section to support these operations.
For more information, click here
- Coastal Rail Trail – The Coastal Rail Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian trail within the 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail right-of-way, adjacent to the existing train tracks. This trail will serve as the “spine” for the larger Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network, a 50-mile bicycle and pedestrian pathway along the coast of Santa Cruz County, from the San Mateo County line in the north to the Monterey County line at Pajaro.
For more information, click here