**By Michael D. Setty**

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) faces a critical decision regarding the Mid County Rail Trail project. Cost overruns exceed the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants for the 6-mile section between the San Lorenzo River and Aptos.

At the SCCRTC full commission meeting Dec. 4, 2025, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and County Supervisor Manu Koenig brought forward a motion to remove the railroad tracks and build a trail on the railroad grade, allegedly to address the funding shortfall for the trail.

Unfortunately, the SCCRTC adopted the Keeley-Koenig motion. However, the commission also adopted an amendment brought forward by alternate Commissioner Andy Schiffrin directing SCCRTC staff to concurrently develop an alternative design that would keep the rails intact. The Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) agrees with Schiffrin’s intention and recommends the alternative outlined below:

TRAC recommends that SCCRTC:

1. Direct SCCRTC staff to work collaboratively with Roaring Camp and Caltrans Division of Rail to develop a trail design that both meets the ATP grant requirements and supports Corridor ID competitiveness. This design must include track realignment as foundational work and keep the rails in operable condition.

2. Accept Roaring Camp’s offer to donate labor for track realignment and refurbishment.

3. Utilize asphalt paving for all trail surfaces except where concrete is technically necessary (automotive intersections, potentially bridges). Do not assume flangeway fillers require the use of concrete.

4. Implement rubber flangeway filler technology where rail-trail close proximity requires it.

5. Place trail beside tracks wherever corridor width permits, after track realignment by Roaring Camp in selected locations, reserving rail-trail overlaps for segments where no other viable option exists.

6. Maintain ongoing coordination with the Caltrans Division of Rail throughout the FRA Corridor ID design process to ensure compliance with state rail program requirements and preservation of federal Corridor ID competitiveness.

7. Develop a pedestrian safety protocol including speed reductions and horn sounding for those locations where the trail overlaps with the rail.

The updated Rail-With-Trail approach outlined here is an affordable solution that fulfills the Commission’s Dec. 4 directive, respects the will of the supermajority of voters who support rail preservation and protects eligibility for tens of millions — and possibly hundreds of millions — of dollars in federal and state matching funding for rail. This approach can deliver the full trail project approved in state ATP grants within budget, while maintaining the corridor’s viability for future passenger rail service.

Track removal would represent a significant missed opportunity and a reversal of voter intent. It would eliminate federal funding eligibility that far exceeds any perceived savings from tearing out the tracks (even “temporarily”) and realigning the trail on the railroad grade.

The engineering challenges facing the project should be addressed through optimized design rather than through elimination of future rail functionality.

If SCCRTC is really committed to infrastructure serving both active transportation with a trail and future public transportation needs, clear commission direction is required that prioritizes rail preservation while also delivering the long-desired trail project that voters and residents want.

*Michael D. Setty is president of the Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) and a Napa resident. For more information and a full version of this op-ed, contact: Train Riders Association of California at calrailnews.org, president@calrailnews.org (TRAC President) or 916-557-1667, and Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund at transdef.org or 415-370-7250.*

Guest Commentary | Rail track removal for a trail: Unnecessary, fiscally irresponsible