SANTA CRUZ >> Local transportation leaders once again affirmed a commitment to pursuing a passenger rail project within the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line after receiving a recent project update from planning staff.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has directed its staff to pursue passenger rail service on the rail line by aligning its Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail Project concept report with the California State Rail Plan that was adopted in January. The directive, commission staff advised, is significant because it will make the project more competitive for state and federal grant funding as well as technical support further down the line.“The question before us is: should we keep moving forward with a plan that has a big sticker shock price on the beginning of it?” said Commissioner Mike Rotkin. “Transportation projects are expensive; they’re not cheap. We shouldn’t wilt at the notion that it’s going to be expensive to build some kind of a system.”

The decision, made March 20 with only one dissenting vote from Commissioner and county Supervisor Kim De Serpa, came as the commission is getting closer to finishing a concept report that will share an in-depth analysis of costs and the environmental and engineering steps necessary to deliver a viable passenger rail project.

The proposed 22-mile project stretches from North Monterey County to Santa Cruz and would convert the rail line’s current single-track freight line into a zero emission passenger rail system with a multiuse bicycle and pedestrian trail alongside it. Since October, commission staff has been holding a series of public meetings that detail elements of the ongoing study including funding and service, ridership approaches and noise.

In a March 12 public information session, consultants hired by the commission detailed the condition of numerous bridges included within the project. To support a passenger rail effort, the consultants reported that 28 of the 33 bridge segments within the project would need to be replaced, coming at a cost of $980 million, including other bridge rehabilitation efforts.

The early-phase estimate was the subject of much attention and scrutiny at the meeting and momentarily revived a debate about the project’s feasibility that has been happening for years, even while the commission pursues clarity with the concept report that is due for release this fall.

Commissioner Andy Schiffrin, an alternate for Supervisor Justin Cummings, said that while he’s generally supportive of a passenger rail project, he thinks it’ll be important for the commission to evaluate a range of cost estimates for the project that allow for flexible implementation scenarios.

“It’s important to consider, I think, a range of options,” said Schiffrin, “as well as having an understanding of what a more conservative approach might cost.”

Schiffrin’s direction for expanded alternatives in the report was accepted, but with a note of caution from commission Executive Director Sarah Christensen. Taking the bridge estimate as an example, Christensen said the estimate is high upfront, but saves money on costly maintenance fees for many deteriorating bridges. That, plus more grant funding is available for building a project versus maintaining old infrastructure.

“Trying to limp along with some of these older bridges that require a lot more maintenance, (we’d be) adding an obligation to our operation and maintenance expenses for this facility,” said Christensen. “If we have to shut down the facility to do maintenance all the time on these older timber bridges, it’s not really going to result in favorable ridership.”

The strongest opposition to commission’s decision came from De Serpa, who said it is her priority to get a trail in as soon as possible.

“I really want to see us put in a trail right now,” said De Serpa. “Our public, our citizens, South County, Mid County, we should not have to wait.”

De Serpa, beginning her first term as the 2nd District county supervisor, represents portions of the county in Aptos, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Pajaro Dunes and a slice of the city of Watsonville. She continued with pointed comments about how the commission, particularly those in North County, don’t recognize the hardships traffic creates for commuting South County residents.

“I don’t think you truly understand the pain and suffering of sitting in this traffic, day after day, after day,” said De Serpa. “We’re tired of it.”

De Serpa’s comments drew a quick rebuke from Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, who holds a seat on the commission as a Santa Cruz Metro representative but is also a current Watsonville city councilmember. Quiroz-Carter said she sits in traffic every day to get to work at UC Santa Cruz, but expecting South County residents to use the trail to commute to work in North County via bicycle is simply unreasonable.

“I need a train,” said Quiroz-Carter. “We keep hearing the same tired arguments over and over. Don’t speak for me because a trail is not going to help me, at all. That’s not going to help people who commute. That’s ridiculous to even say.”

Additional community forums are expected this spring covering topics that include ridership modeling, revenue forecasts, alignment and station locations, operations, safety and additional cost estimates, according to the staff report.