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Friends of the Rail and Trail
Author: SUNTAN SPECIAL
Date: 01-30-2024 - 14:11
If you live near Watsonville or can travel there, your warm body is needed to support rail transit this Thursday morning! Let's have a gathering of rail supporters fill the room!
The design for the passenger rail system is moving forward, and the Regional Transportation Commission is holding a public hearing on why rail transit matters. Please attend the public hearing in person if you can, or attend via Zoom, and tell them how rail transit will improve your life.
When: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 10:30 am
Where: Watsonville City Hall
To attend over Zoom go to:
[us02web.zoom.us]
Dial-in: +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 895 9717 3447
Show Up for Rail Transit
The meeting is to gather content for the first part of the rail plan, called the Purpose and Need Statement. Here is the draft version. The more public response it receives, the better. Strong community response will show the Commissioners and the state agencies that Santa Cruz County supports this project. Projects with the most community support are the ones that get funded.
Your Voice Has an Impact: Real People need Real Transportation Options
Take a moment to tell why passenger rail matters to you and your community. Make sure no one can miss how important this project is. Here are some ideas for you to talk about:
Is it hard to drive or bike to the places you need to go? Do you have students, elders, or co-workers in your circle who need a better car-free travel option? Is car ownership a burden for you or people you know? Do you or your friends get stuck in traffic congestion? Are you looking forward to the connection to the rail network so you can take the train to San Francisco, Sacramento, LA, or Seattle?
Here’s what I plan to say:
I grew up in Watsonville in a family with only one car. Opportunities like after-school classes, internships, summer classes and jobs were only available if there was a reliable bus connection. I missed out on a lot of opportunities. The rail line always lurked in my head. Why couldn't we take a train to UCSC, Cabrillo, and the job and recreational opportunities in Santa Cruz? Now that I live in Live Oak, I limit where and when I travel based on traffic. When traffic is bad, it’s faster to walk or bike to Capitola or the Westside of Santa Cruz than to drive or take the bus, and going to Watsonville in the evening to see family takes hours. Taking the train would be faster than any of the other options, and would be safer and more accessible too. We have to ignore false propaganda from Greenway and Trail Now! Which are backed by Powerful Real Estate interests, lobbying to divide our Coastal communities I can’t wait to be able to use rail transit, so I can meet my niece for dinner in Watsonville without spending 90 minutes in traffic.
Remember, there are no wrong answers! All that matters is to share a few words about what rail means to you.
The design for the passenger rail system is moving forward, and the Regional Transportation Commission is holding a public hearing on why rail transit matters. Please attend the public hearing in person if you can, or attend via Zoom, and tell them how rail transit will improve your life.
When: Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024 10:30 am
Where: Watsonville City Hall
To attend over Zoom go to:
[us02web.zoom.us]
Dial-in: +1 312 626 6799 Webinar ID: 895 9717 3447
Show Up for Rail Transit
The meeting is to gather content for the first part of the rail plan, called the Purpose and Need Statement. Here is the draft version. The more public response it receives, the better. Strong community response will show the Commissioners and the state agencies that Santa Cruz County supports this project. Projects with the most community support are the ones that get funded.
Your Voice Has an Impact: Real People need Real Transportation Options
Take a moment to tell why passenger rail matters to you and your community. Make sure no one can miss how important this project is. Here are some ideas for you to talk about:
Is it hard to drive or bike to the places you need to go? Do you have students, elders, or co-workers in your circle who need a better car-free travel option? Is car ownership a burden for you or people you know? Do you or your friends get stuck in traffic congestion? Are you looking forward to the connection to the rail network so you can take the train to San Francisco, Sacramento, LA, or Seattle?
Here’s what I plan to say:
I grew up in Watsonville in a family with only one car. Opportunities like after-school classes, internships, summer classes and jobs were only available if there was a reliable bus connection. I missed out on a lot of opportunities. The rail line always lurked in my head. Why couldn't we take a train to UCSC, Cabrillo, and the job and recreational opportunities in Santa Cruz? Now that I live in Live Oak, I limit where and when I travel based on traffic. When traffic is bad, it’s faster to walk or bike to Capitola or the Westside of Santa Cruz than to drive or take the bus, and going to Watsonville in the evening to see family takes hours. Taking the train would be faster than any of the other options, and would be safer and more accessible too. We have to ignore false propaganda from Greenway and Trail Now! Which are backed by Powerful Real Estate interests, lobbying to divide our Coastal communities I can’t wait to be able to use rail transit, so I can meet my niece for dinner in Watsonville without spending 90 minutes in traffic.
Remember, there are no wrong answers! All that matters is to share a few words about what rail means to you.
Friends of the Rail and Trail