BIKE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
In June 2025, Bike Santa Cruz County (BSCC) released its 2025 Rider Survey Report, a first of its kind look at where, why, and how local cyclists ride and what still keeps them up at night. The findings put safety front and center, shine a spotlight on especially dangerous corridors, and reveal growing impatience around the long promised Coastal Rail Trail. “Riders are telling us loud and clear: give us protected space from fast and heavy traffic and fix the roads we already use,” said Mikey Cohen, BSCC board member and survey lead. “This report turns anecdotes into hard numbers cities and the county can’t ignore.”
Key Findings
Safety crisis: 89 percent of riders saw or experienced a crash or near-miss in the last year; only 2 percent feel “very safe” on local roads.
Problem corridors: Soquel Ave/Dr, Mission St/Highway 1, Capitola Rd, River St, and Water St account for nearly half of all bike-related crashes in 2024 and top the survey’s “worst streets” list.
Top fix: 55 percent say protected bike lanes on busy streets are the single most important upgrade; more than double any other option.
Rail-Trail impatience: 54 percent still favor building both rail and trail, but 43 percent now lean “Trail Only” or “just build something,” citing cost and delay fatigue.
E-bike surge: 68 percent have ridden an e-bike; faster, heavier bikes are already shaping infrastructure needs.
Why It Matters
The overlap between riders’ responses and the 2024 TIMS (Transportation Injury Mapping System) crash data is “eerily perfect,” the report notes. Improving those five corridors would address both perceived danger and documented injury hot spots. Meanwhile, resolving Rail Trail uncertainty and opening trail mileage fast could defuse growing public frustration.
BSCC will share the report with city councils, the County Board of Supervisors, RTC staff, and local nonprofits to guide funding and design decisions. The report is available online HERE.
