Department of Transportation awards Santa Cruz Metro with $30 million grant

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV): On Monday afternoon, The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District announced they received a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Transit officials said the grant money will be going to fund plans for a new bus-on-shoulder lane on Highway 1 from Freedom Boulevard to State Park Drive. The grant will also help Santa Cruz Metro purchase four zero-emission buses.

U.S. Rep., Jimmy Panetta said that these funds will help alleviate congestion on Highway 1 and reduce the carbon footprint.

"“Too many of us know the frustration of being stuck in traffic on Highway 1 between Watsonville and Santa Cruz," Rep. Panetta said. "The Multimodal Corridor Program will bring much needed relief to our congestion problems with an extra lane for public transportation, improvements for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, and, ultimately, the reduction of our carbon emissions with new zero-emission buses."

The corridor program will include a 1.25 mile segment of the Coastal Rail Trail. Transit officials said that Highway 1 will have a bus on shoulder facility, auxiliary lanes, and bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings. Construction is expected to be completed by 2028.

Metro officials said that the purchase of four zero-emission buses will help connect the community of Watsonville with jobs in the City of Santa Cruz.