OPTIONS LTD.
I am both mystified and disappointed that rail advocates have not yet joined the compromise solution for immediate use of the dormant county rail line. Certainly, they understand that modern passenger rail code requires the old, existing rails be removed and upgraded. Certainly, they understand that federal “railbanking” allows temporary use of the line for a “Greenway” until such time rail becomes more effective and affordable. Certainly, they understand that Greenway can happen from north to south with existing funds and without the need to tax yet again our already over-taxed citizens. Certainly, they understand that rather than waiting 20-30 years for a $1.5 billion passenger rail, an affordable, scenic, and highly functional Greenway can happen within just a few years.
Certainly, literally, the opponents to the Greenway trail have declared transportation options to be limited to “Our way … or just the highway!”
Julie Scurfield
Freedom
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There is nothing dormant about the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line. There are five active rail customers in Watsonville and over 200,000 passengers travel from Felton to Santa Cruz every year.
Julie Scurfield has obviously not attended the meetings where rail professionals, lawyers, and environmental groups have pointed out the obvious, with our particular situation, Greenway’s deceptive plan to railbank, remove the rails, and remove all language in the General Plan that includes the future of rail would DESTROY the possibility of rail here forever. AND make us ineligible for any of the huge pot of grants that happen to be coming available through the next 5 years!