The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission meets Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chambers at 701 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz. Zoom is also available. According to the agenda, a public hearing on the Measure D five-year plans will start no earlier than 6:30 p.m.
What Measure D is
County voters passed Measure D in 2016. It is a half-cent sales tax for transportation that lasts 30 years and raises about $27 million a year. Every agency that gets Measure D money has to hold a hearing on its five-year plan each year. The RTC writes the plans for highway corridors, active transportation, the rail corridor, the Highway 17 wildlife crossing and the San Lorenzo Valley Highway 9 corridor, plus Community Bridges’ Lift Line.
Where the money would go
Lookout reports that the plans for fiscal 2026-27 through 2030-31 add no major new projects. Over five years:
- The Highway 1 widening, including the State Park Drive to Bay Avenue/Porter Street segment, would get more than $88 million.
- Rail trail Segments 10 and 11 would get more than $17 million.
- Rail line infrastructure preservation would get more than $20 million.
- Boulder Creek Complete Streets would get $2.4 million.
How revenue is doing
A revenue report in the agenda packet shows Measure D receipts through September were $2,584,843. That’s 12.39% more than the same period a year earlier. Staff project about $27.7 million for the full fiscal year, roughly flat.