Highway 1 Auxiliary Lanes and Bus-on-Shoulder Improvements —Freedom Boulevard to State Park Drive— and Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12 Project

Project Description

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in association with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and the County of Santa Cruz (County), proposes improvements along State Route 1 and the Santa Cruz Branch Line railroad right-of-way, within an unincorporated area of the County. Improvements under consideration include the construction of auxiliary lanes, implementation of bus‐on‐shoulder operations, widening and replacement of bridges, construction of Segment 12 of the Coastal Rail Trail, and the installation of sound walls and retaining walls.

 

project vicinity map 

 

Project Benefits

Purpose

  • Reduce delay and improve system reliability and safety along State Route 1
  • Improve traffic operational movements, local circulation, and transit operations
  • Enhance bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and safety, including access across State Route 1 within the project limits
  • Promote the use of alternative transportation modes to increase transportation system capacity and reliability, improve health and reduce mortality, as well as to reduce vehicle miles of travel and vehicular emissions

Need

  • Several bottlenecks along State Route 1 in the southbound and northbound directions cause delays during peak hours, significantly delaying drivers
  • Cut-through traffic, or traffic on local streets, is increasing because drivers are seeking to avoid delays on State Route 1
  • There are limited opportunities for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross State Route 1 and navigate the project corridor, even though portions of the project area are designated as regional bicycle routes
  • There are insufficient incentives to increase transit service in the State Route 1 corridor because delay threatens reliability and cost‐effective transit service delivery

 

Estimated Funding Breakdown

Construction Cost: $79,000,000

 

Partnerships

 

Proposed Project Schedule

Process Date
Final environmental document to be completed January 2024
Right-of-way acquisition to be completed Summer 2025
Design to be completed Summer 2025
Advertise Fall 2025
Construction to begin Winter 2026
Construction to be completed Spring 2028

 

Contact

Madilyn Jacobsen, Project Manager
Phone: (805) 835-6328
Email: madilyn.jacobsen@dot.ca.gov

Dianna Beck, Senior Environmental Planner
Phone: (805) 459-9406
Email:dianna.beck@dot.ca.gov

District 5 Public Information Office
Phone: (805) 549-3318
Email: info-d5@dot.ca.gov

 

Documents

 

Title VI Information

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assures that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and Federal Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations).

Caltrans will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether they are federally funded or not, and that services and benefits are fairly distributed to all people, regardless of race, color, or national origin. In addition, Caltrans will facilitate meaningful participation in the transportation planning process in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Title VI Brochures

Title VI brochures in various languages