The Santa Cruz Rail Trail, a transformative 32-mile pedestrian and bicycle pathway from Davenport to Watsonville, is making strides toward improved safety and connectivity along the scenic California coast. The team at WHA has been instrumental in advancing the project’s environmental compliance, conducting essential assessments to ensure safe development.
Since the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) acquired the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line in 2012, the trail has been organized into 20 segments, each requiring detailed environmental and design considerations. WHA has completed Initial Site Assessments, contamination sampling, ongoing monitoring, soil management, and site mitigation plans across multiple segments. The results of these analyses and the continuous environmental monitoring help ensure both public safety and compliance, supporting the project’s steady progress.
Multiple trail segments are advancing, with Segment 7 anticipated to finish by February 2024, bringing the Santa Cruz community closer to a unified coastal path. For more details on the latest project updates, visit this recent article from Santa Cruz Local.
Image: Rail Trail Segment Development Status (Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission)
