Excerpt:
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—A countywide transportation commission voted on Thursday to move forward with in-depth analysis of four possible options for the future of Santa Cruz County’s rail trail corridor.
The leading options before the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) include bus rapid transit, electric light rail, an electric commuter train, and a mix of the train and bus options.
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Although some members of the public called for more study of a trail-only solution on the corridor, Leopold and Commissioner Alternate Andy Schiffrin said that it would be wrong to do a do-over of the Unified Corridor Study, which demonstrated less value for a trail-only transportation alternative, compared with public transit options.
According to public commenters, the passenger rail options have support from a variety of groups, including the local Sierra Club chapter, Regeneración Pajaro Valley Climate Action, Bike Santa Cruz County and Friends of the Rail and Trail.
The Pajaronian