Over the next year, City of Santa Cruz staff will be working to create the city’s first-ever Active Transportation Plan (ATP), which will include an update to the 2008 Bicycle Transportation Plan as well as a list of pedestrian projects. In the coming weeks the City will host several community meetings to solicit input on the ATP. This process is a chance for us to envision for the bike- and pedestrian-friendly Santa Cruz of our dreams and is the first step towards getting new bike projects funded and built.
OUR SHORT LIST FOR A BIKE-FRIENDLY SANTA CRUZ
Bike Santa Cruz County is proposing a variety of projects to be included in the ATP. Our goal is to make riding a bike a safe, comfortable and convenient activity for all residents. Check out the following list and join us to advocate for a bike-friendly Santa Cruz!
- Make big streets safe. Add protected bike lanes (bike lanes with physical barriers between bikes and cars), buffered bike lanes and/or green lanes to major corridors such as Soquel, Water, Ocean and Bay.
- Neighborhood greenways. Create bike-friendly neighborhood streets by adding bike lanes, green lane treatments, and traffic calming features. This includes streets like King, Broadway, Laurel, Cayuga and connections to the future Rail Trail.
- Fill the gaps. Complete the bike network by filling gaps, such as the missing bike lanes on Soquel and Delaware, the steep and hard-to-find access ramps to the levee paths, the missing bridge over Branciforte Creek, and the spot where King Street ends and drops you onto Mission.
- Address difficult intersections. Create dedicated space for bikes and install bike-specific signals at intersections that are currently challenging for people on bikes. Many examples exist, including the intersections at Bay and Mission, Soquel and Front, Ocean and Hwy 17, and the Morrissey interchange.
- Signage and Bike Parking. Implement the Countywide Bike Signage Program within the city to guide people on bikes to the best routes; work with existing businesses to provide short- and long-term bike parking; and include a Bike Station (with supervised, indoor bike parking) in the redesign of the Pacific Avenue Metro station.
GET INVOLVED
Contact us at director@bikesantacruzcounty.org if you have a project that you would like to see on our list. You can also attend one of the following public meetings to learn more about the ATP and share your ideas for new bike projects.
- Wednesday, August 19, from 6:00 - 8:00PM at the Bike Santa Cruz all-member meeting at the Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz
- Saturday, Aug. 22, from 1:00 - 4:00PM at Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St.
- Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 5:30-7:30PM at Bayview Elementary School, 1231 Bay St.
- Tuesday, Sept 15, from 5:30-7:30PM at Branciforte Small Schools, 840 N. Branciforte Ave.
- Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 5:30-7:30PM at Gault Elementary School, 1320 Seabright Ave.
If you are unable to attend a meeting, send your ideas to Claire Fliesler at cfliesler@cityofsantacruz.com.
You can learn more about the Active Transportation Plan at cityofsantacruz.com/activetransportation.