Friends Of The Rail & Trail
@railandtrail.bsky.social
Advocating since 2002 for a 32-mile trail & rail system along the Santa Cruz coast—supporting traffic-free commutes, climate action, and equitable access to opportunity & nature.
https://www.railandtrail.org/
#RailAndTrail
https://www.railandtrail.org/
#RailAndTrail
Trail construction is taking shape near Wilder, with views looking both north and south along the corridor.
This is what turning plans into reality looks like.
#railandtrail
This is what turning plans into reality looks like.
#railandtrail
December 16, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Trail construction is taking shape near Wilder, with views looking both north and south along the corridor.
This is what turning plans into reality looks like.
#railandtrail
This is what turning plans into reality looks like.
#railandtrail
Here’s a thoughtful piece from the Santa Cruz Sentinel about how Santa Cruz can build both a trail and a train together. Worth a read if you care about connected, balanced transportation in our county.
www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/12/11/g...
www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/12/11/g...
Guest Commentary | Santa Cruz can have a trail and a train — together
“The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission’s Dec. 4 decision to direct its staff to prepare an alternative interim trail plan that keeps the rails available opens the door to t…
www.santacruzsentinel.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Here’s a thoughtful piece from the Santa Cruz Sentinel about how Santa Cruz can build both a trail and a train together. Worth a read if you care about connected, balanced transportation in our county.
www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/12/11/g...
www.santacruzsentinel.com/2025/12/11/g...
Here is a look at construction on the North Coast Trail near Four Mile.
Projects like this do not happen overnight, but every day of progress moves us closer to a safer, more connected county.
#railandtrail
Projects like this do not happen overnight, but every day of progress moves us closer to a safer, more connected county.
#railandtrail
December 12, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Here is a look at construction on the North Coast Trail near Four Mile.
Projects like this do not happen overnight, but every day of progress moves us closer to a safer, more connected county.
#railandtrail
Projects like this do not happen overnight, but every day of progress moves us closer to a safer, more connected county.
#railandtrail
Windsor just opened its new SMART station this year — and the ripple effects are already showing up in local life. This SF Chronicle story highlights how a small town becomes more connected, more accessible, and more vibrant when rail comes back.
December 10, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Windsor just opened its new SMART station this year — and the ripple effects are already showing up in local life. This SF Chronicle story highlights how a small town becomes more connected, more accessible, and more vibrant when rail comes back.
This cartoon sums it up. We pour most of our money and space into car infrastructure, but it still doesn’t serve everyone-- and everyone else gets squeezed. It's time we make space for everyone, not just cars.
December 10, 2025 at 12:52 AM
This cartoon sums it up. We pour most of our money and space into car infrastructure, but it still doesn’t serve everyone-- and everyone else gets squeezed. It's time we make space for everyone, not just cars.
Vehicle tires are now one of the biggest sources of microplastics in our ocean. It is a reminder that the way we move affects far more than traffic.
Cleaner transportation options like rail, walking, and biking reduce pollution at the source and protect our coast.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
Cleaner transportation options like rail, walking, and biking reduce pollution at the source and protect our coast.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
December 8, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Vehicle tires are now one of the biggest sources of microplastics in our ocean. It is a reminder that the way we move affects far more than traffic.
Cleaner transportation options like rail, walking, and biking reduce pollution at the source and protect our coast.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
Cleaner transportation options like rail, walking, and biking reduce pollution at the source and protect our coast.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
A supporter shared these photos with us from a national exhibit in Washington, D.C. and yes, that’s our Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line on display.
From the first trains into Santa Cruz in the 1870s to Watsonville’s agricultural boom in the 1890s, this corridor has always connected our communities.
From the first trains into Santa Cruz in the 1870s to Watsonville’s agricultural boom in the 1890s, this corridor has always connected our communities.
December 5, 2025 at 11:31 PM
A supporter shared these photos with us from a national exhibit in Washington, D.C. and yes, that’s our Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line on display.
From the first trains into Santa Cruz in the 1870s to Watsonville’s agricultural boom in the 1890s, this corridor has always connected our communities.
From the first trains into Santa Cruz in the 1870s to Watsonville’s agricultural boom in the 1890s, this corridor has always connected our communities.
Cars can get sleeker and smarter, but without real options for transit, traffic stays the same. We deserve better ways to get around.
#RailAndTrail
#RailAndTrail
December 4, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Cars can get sleeker and smarter, but without real options for transit, traffic stays the same. We deserve better ways to get around.
#RailAndTrail
#RailAndTrail
Rail works here for a reason. Our corridor already links the places people live, work and visit every day, without getting stuck in traffic.
We bought the rail line. Now it’s time to use it.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
We bought the rail line. Now it’s time to use it.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
December 3, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Rail works here for a reason. Our corridor already links the places people live, work and visit every day, without getting stuck in traffic.
We bought the rail line. Now it’s time to use it.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
We bought the rail line. Now it’s time to use it.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
Today is Giving Tuesday, and we’re taking a moment to remind our community that Friends of the Rail & Trail is entirely volunteer powered. Everything we do comes from people in Santa Cruz County who want safer streets, cleaner air, and real transportation options.
December 2, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Today is Giving Tuesday, and we’re taking a moment to remind our community that Friends of the Rail & Trail is entirely volunteer powered. Everything we do comes from people in Santa Cruz County who want safer streets, cleaner air, and real transportation options.
Over the next 30 years, it’s reasonable for about 20 percent of transportation funding to go toward Rail & Trail, while the majority continues to support road repair.
More cars mean more wear on our roads.
More cars mean more wear on our roads.
December 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Over the next 30 years, it’s reasonable for about 20 percent of transportation funding to go toward Rail & Trail, while the majority continues to support road repair.
More cars mean more wear on our roads.
More cars mean more wear on our roads.
This week, we’re feeling especially thankful for the volunteers who power Friends of the Rail & Trail.
Every meeting you attend, every note you send, every conversation you spark with a neighbor keeps this movement going.
Every meeting you attend, every note you send, every conversation you spark with a neighbor keeps this movement going.
November 27, 2025 at 12:36 AM
This week, we’re feeling especially thankful for the volunteers who power Friends of the Rail & Trail.
Every meeting you attend, every note you send, every conversation you spark with a neighbor keeps this movement going.
Every meeting you attend, every note you send, every conversation you spark with a neighbor keeps this movement going.
Investing in public transportation is one of the smartest things we can do as a community.
California would save an estimated $50 billion in healthcare costs over the next 30 years by shifting more trips to transit.
www.apta.com/research-tec...
California would save an estimated $50 billion in healthcare costs over the next 30 years by shifting more trips to transit.
www.apta.com/research-tec...
Economic Impact Of Public Transportation Investment - American Public Transportation Association
APTA reports on the economic impact of public transportation. Agencies can use the My Economic Impact tool to estimate their own economic impact.
www.apta.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Investing in public transportation is one of the smartest things we can do as a community.
California would save an estimated $50 billion in healthcare costs over the next 30 years by shifting more trips to transit.
www.apta.com/research-tec...
California would save an estimated $50 billion in healthcare costs over the next 30 years by shifting more trips to transit.
www.apta.com/research-tec...
Big news: Rail is officially moving forward with state and federal backing.
Santa Cruz is part of the Central Coast Corridor, one of just nine rail corridors in California accepted into the Federal Corridor ID Program — a fully funded program designed to move top rail projects toward construction.
Santa Cruz is part of the Central Coast Corridor, one of just nine rail corridors in California accepted into the Federal Corridor ID Program — a fully funded program designed to move top rail projects toward construction.
November 25, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Big news: Rail is officially moving forward with state and federal backing.
Santa Cruz is part of the Central Coast Corridor, one of just nine rail corridors in California accepted into the Federal Corridor ID Program — a fully funded program designed to move top rail projects toward construction.
Santa Cruz is part of the Central Coast Corridor, one of just nine rail corridors in California accepted into the Federal Corridor ID Program — a fully funded program designed to move top rail projects toward construction.
Rail can go where buses and cars simply can’t. The rail corridor cuts straight from Santa Cruz to Capitola and Aptos, which is why passenger rail would move faster than driving even before traffic comes into the picture.
November 20, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Rail can go where buses and cars simply can’t. The rail corridor cuts straight from Santa Cruz to Capitola and Aptos, which is why passenger rail would move faster than driving even before traffic comes into the picture.
There are a lot of ways to support Rail & Trail, and every single one of them matters.
If you haven’t written the RTC yet, now’s the time. If you’ve been meaning to volunteer, we’d love to have you.
If you haven’t written the RTC yet, now’s the time. If you’ve been meaning to volunteer, we’d love to have you.
November 19, 2025 at 6:38 PM
There are a lot of ways to support Rail & Trail, and every single one of them matters.
If you haven’t written the RTC yet, now’s the time. If you’ve been meaning to volunteer, we’d love to have you.
If you haven’t written the RTC yet, now’s the time. If you’ve been meaning to volunteer, we’d love to have you.
This postcard shows the Southern Pacific Flyer crossing the Capitola Trestle more than a century ago. The rail line has always tied together our communities, our beaches, our neighborhoods, and the places we work. Now we get to decide what the next 100 years look like.
#RailAndTrail
#RailAndTrail
November 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
This postcard shows the Southern Pacific Flyer crossing the Capitola Trestle more than a century ago. The rail line has always tied together our communities, our beaches, our neighborhoods, and the places we work. Now we get to decide what the next 100 years look like.
#RailAndTrail
#RailAndTrail
Here’s a public transit model more cities should know about. It’s the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn in Germany, a metro region of about 310,000 people. Their system runs tram-trains that work like commuter rail outside town and like streetcars inside town, with no need to switch modes.
November 18, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Here’s a public transit model more cities should know about. It’s the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn in Germany, a metro region of about 310,000 people. Their system runs tram-trains that work like commuter rail outside town and like streetcars inside town, with no need to switch modes.
Friends of the Rail & Trail is a volunteer-powered group of neighbors who want Santa Cruz County to have safer streets, cleaner air, and real transportation options. Teachers, students, retirees, parents, small business owners — all pitching in because we care about the future of this county.
November 15, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Friends of the Rail & Trail is a volunteer-powered group of neighbors who want Santa Cruz County to have safer streets, cleaner air, and real transportation options. Teachers, students, retirees, parents, small business owners — all pitching in because we care about the future of this county.
The Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line has been here for almost 150 years, and it still runs right through the heart of our community. It passes by Capitola Village, Downtown Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos Village, and Natural Bridges — all the places people already spend their time.
November 13, 2025 at 11:48 PM
The Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line has been here for almost 150 years, and it still runs right through the heart of our community. It passes by Capitola Village, Downtown Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos Village, and Natural Bridges — all the places people already spend their time.
When the federal government shuts down, everything that depends on it slows or stops. Our transportation system is built on that dependence. Highways, airports, parking, and big infrastructure all rely on billions in public funding every year.
November 12, 2025 at 9:12 PM
When the federal government shuts down, everything that depends on it slows or stops. Our transportation system is built on that dependence. Highways, airports, parking, and big infrastructure all rely on billions in public funding every year.
At the Rail & Trail Festival, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley reminded us that big projects come with big visions.
Quoting transportation leader Rob Diridon, he spoke about how we can’t let large price tags scare us away — projects like rail aren’t built for the next five years,
Quoting transportation leader Rob Diridon, he spoke about how we can’t let large price tags scare us away — projects like rail aren’t built for the next five years,
November 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
At the Rail & Trail Festival, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley reminded us that big projects come with big visions.
Quoting transportation leader Rob Diridon, he spoke about how we can’t let large price tags scare us away — projects like rail aren’t built for the next five years,
Quoting transportation leader Rob Diridon, he spoke about how we can’t let large price tags scare us away — projects like rail aren’t built for the next five years,
The best transit systems don’t just follow highways; they connect people to neighborhoods, jobs, and daily life.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
November 10, 2025 at 9:55 PM
The best transit systems don’t just follow highways; they connect people to neighborhoods, jobs, and daily life.
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
#RailAndTrail #SantaCruz
“But where will people park?” Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we have feet! Most people walk to transit stops — which is why it’s so important that more than 150,000 people in Santa Cruz County live within walking distance of the Rail Line.
Better connections start with walkable access.
Better connections start with walkable access.
November 7, 2025 at 9:04 PM
“But where will people park?” Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we have feet! Most people walk to transit stops — which is why it’s so important that more than 150,000 people in Santa Cruz County live within walking distance of the Rail Line.
Better connections start with walkable access.
Better connections start with walkable access.
We’ve been visiting some of our favorite spots along the Rail & Trail— New Leaf for snacks, Natural Bridges for the views, Wilder Ranch for a ride, and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery to wrap it up.
Every stop reminds us how connected our community feels when you can bike, walk, or roll between places.
Every stop reminds us how connected our community feels when you can bike, walk, or roll between places.
November 6, 2025 at 9:35 PM
We’ve been visiting some of our favorite spots along the Rail & Trail— New Leaf for snacks, Natural Bridges for the views, Wilder Ranch for a ride, and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery to wrap it up.
Every stop reminds us how connected our community feels when you can bike, walk, or roll between places.
Every stop reminds us how connected our community feels when you can bike, walk, or roll between places.