Public Hearing Zero Emission Passenger Rail & Trail

Project - Preliminary Purpose and Need

(Riley Gerbrandt, Associate Engineer)

The public hearing focused on the Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail (ZEPRT) Project in Santa Cruz County, led by Riley Gerbrandt, the project manager. The primary goal of the hearing was to present and gather input on the project's preliminary purpose and needs statement. The Santa Cruz branch rail line, a continuous transportation corridor since the 1870s, offers a unique opportunity to enhance multimodal transportation in the county.

In 2012, the Commission acquired the branch line, leading to several planning studies, including the 2015 rail feasibility study and the 2021 transit corridor alternatives analysis. In 2022, HDR Engineering was contracted to implement passenger rail servic ...