ICYMI: U.S. Rep. Panetta and Santa Cruz County Leaders Tout $30 Million in Federal Funding to Improve Infrastructure

Santa Cruz, CA – In case you missed it, U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Santa Cruz County leaders highlighted $30 million in new federal funding to build the final phase of its planned Watsonville-Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program. Funding was secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

This major project will construct auxiliary lanes and bus on shoulder facility along State Route 1, purchase four zero emission buses for Santa Cruz County, and build a new segment of the Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail, including bicycle and pedestrian overcrossings for SR 1.

"For far too long and far too often, too many people have been stuck in traffic on Highway 1 getting between Watsonville and Santa Cruz, leading to a decrease in our productivity and an increase in our carbon output," said Rep. Panetta. "The Multimodal Corridor Program will bring much needed relief to our congestion and climate change problems with an extra lane for public transportation, improvements for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, and funding to purchase zero emission buses. I'm proud that Congress passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in order to make this type of crucial federal investment in our roads and green buses that will help alleviate traffic, improve our livelihoods, and allow us to play our part to stem the effects of climate change."

Caltrans estimates the project will create 2,167 jobs and improve access and opportunities to top employers in Santa Cruz County. Without improvements, Caltrans estimates that collisions on the SR 1 mainline are expected to increase by 17% by 2045. Additionally, Caltrans estimates this Project will reduce over 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Funding was secured through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program, known as Mega grants. Congress created this new competitive grant program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to invest in complex projects with no other funding solution. Projects like the Watsonville-Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program qualify for a Mega grant if they help meet national or regional economic, mobility, or safety goals. The Watsonville-Cruz program is one of nine projects nationwide to be chosen for this round of Mega funding.

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