Despite misleading claims that there is huge opposition to a train, 83% of those responding to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) about alternatives for the rail corridor expressed support for passenger rail connecting Santa Cruz to Watsonville.
The RTC recently published correspondence received during the public comment period ending Nov. 27 regarding the choice of public transit for use in the rail corridor. Of the 255 people stating a preference, 212 (83%) preferred rail transit; 1.6% preferred bus transit; 1.6% preferred another transit system; 2.4% were opposed to rail transit but didn’t want anything else either; 11.4% want a trail only. Furthermore, 100% of the community stakeholder groups that submitted comments expressed support for passenger rail transit in the corridor. Clearly, implementing efficient, quiet, comfortable passenger rail is widely supported. Check the correspondence yourself on the RTC website: sccrtc.org/projects/multi-modal/transitcorridoraa under Milestone 3, Public Comments received and Stakeholder Comments received.
Mark Mesiti-Miller | Santa Cruz
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This is the usual disingenuous propaganda from Mark. A few hundred form letters sent into the RTC recently does not begin to match the 10,000 signatures on one petition against the rail. Mark, let’s put it to a vote. Even the RTC admits that the BRT, bus rapid transit, is cheaper, more flexible, faster to build, more user-friendly. It could also use Measure D funds which rail cannot. Rail would require another tax on local citizens.
Funny, I thought the criteria for submitting a letter to Good Times was that it should not be a copy of a letter sent to other publications yet here we are https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/12/18/letter-public-support-overwhelming-for-train/
Mark Mesiti-Miller is the lead snake-oil salesman for the rail movement. Let’s take his latest commentary in above about overwhelming support by the public for rail based on public commentary at the November RTC meeting. If you check the Coast Connect website, they began a robot email campaign to the RTC at the same time the RTC began receiving TCAA comments that were recorded in the RTC minutes. The rail extremists, then ran with Mark Mesiti-Miller’s comments as gospel. This is all part of a well orchestrated operation by Mesiti-Miller and FORT to deceive the public. Fact is, there is overwhelming public dissent against rail. Mark Mesiti-Miller claims there were 255 pro-rail responses. He falls to mention the 10,000+ signatures collected by Greenway in favor of trail only. He also fails to mention how Measure L was passed by Capitola to preserve the trestle for a trail and the sound defeat of John Leopold in the 2nd district last November. It’s time to get real that rail is dead and we need to concentrate on active transportation on the abandoned corridor and revitalized bus system and ADA transport now! If he truly believes there is overwhelming support for rail, let’s stop with the made up numbers and bring it to an actual vote.