Better ask Barry: Park and Ride lot set to close

You might remember the song where they “paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

Well, that’s not the case in Santa Cruz where they already have a parking lot, but now it’s going away.

A KION viewer decided he’d better ask Barry.

“Well, they’ve been threatening to close it for the last year and it’s unsettling because … there’s gonna be more people parking on the streets,” said Alphonse Castaneda, who works nearby.

The lot is freeway close at Soquel Avenue and Paul Sweet Road.

It is owned by Santa Cruz Metro and, unlike other park and ride lots, it was designed for transit passengers. These days, however, the passengers are gone.

Metro Santa Cruz no longer provides bus service there and the lot is starting to attract more than just commuters.

“Today is a great example,” said Metro Santa Cruz CEO Alex Clifford. “We have somebody and their beat up van and their RV who have chosen to make this their home, and another one over here on the far side. That is not uncommon.”

Some use the lot for vehicle repairs. For others, it’s a dump.

“We still own it. We have an obligation and a liability and therefore, we have talked to the board about it and the board has agreed we should go ahead and close the lot,” said Clifford.

Most of the cars that still park in the lot belong to people who work in the area.

Santa Cruz Metro has extended the closing date several times, but the May 31st deadline date is firm.

Down the line, the lot could be used as the hub for the county’s para-transit buses that provide service to riders with accessibility concerns. But that will take some time.

It may be a couple of years before the property can be re-purposed. In the meantime, come May 31, the gates will be closed.

Do you have a question? Better ask Barry.

You can reach out by phone, email or use this link.