[mc32]

It would definitely revitalize the coast. But at what price? Can you imagine the gridlock on State Highway 17 (and the Pac HWY)?

If I sat in the governator’s office, I’d push for a commuter line from the South Bay to St Cruz. That would be so much more beneficial than the HSR to no-where we wasted 70 billion on.

[outside1234]

It is too obviously a great strategy to put in rail between San Jose Diridon, Los Gatos, and Santa Cruz, so let's build rail in the middle of nowhere instead.

There is even an abandoned tunnel under the mountain that did this in the early 1900s!

[mc32]

Thanks for reminding me of that. I thought there had been but wasn't sure if it went all along HWY 17. Apparently there was one running till the 40s.[1] But the highway killed it (not mudslides as is often attributed). There were a total of 8 tunnels most of them condemned and dynamited. But apparently the right of way exists and could be rebuilt! So there is hope if people and businesses push hard enough for it.

Commuters would rejoice, SCZ would enjoy revitalization and integration into the Bay Area economy and holidaymakers would enjoy a nice leisurely trip to the beach by train --what a treat that would be!

[1]https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/05/abandoned-railroad-tu...

[imagetic]

I don't think anyone in Santa Cruz wants that. As a long-time Santa Cruz resident, the only people I know who want it to be more are tech people who have been pushed down here cause of shortages over the hill or just like to surf.

[lebca]

My understanding was that apart from GM killing it on a more general statewide level, the SC dirt is really soft and the tunnels collapsed a lot more often than expected, taking deaths with them during collapses and rebuilds.

[sjg007]

Maybe a hyper loop..

[riku_iki]

Santa Cruz probably doesn't have enough area for expansion to justify rail line.

[mc32]

Santa Cruz is very suburban and not dense (it could get denser) and there is land all the way down the coast to Watsonville, so it could serve as a catchment for a whole new population of commuters.

In any event, it would make way more sense than the Central Valley HSR which serves very little purpose. HWY 17 is not going to get wider, but there is pressure for more cars. I think this would serve the Coast very well. It would bring a lot more commerce there in the Summer months as well.

[jrowley]

I can only imagine the ecological and financial challenges of putting rail in over the Santa Cruz mountains but would love to see it

[outside1234]

Ecological challenges - is it really ecologically challenging to put a tunnel into a mountain versus thousands of cars driving to Silicon Valley every morning.

Financial Challenges - please. We have so much money in this state and it is just squandered on so many unneeded things (like the high speed rail line in the central valley).

[wbl]

We already did it, then abandoned the line.

[epistasis]

There's massive gridlock for Santa Cruz county residents commuting out to the valley for their workdays. The worst is probably between Santa Cruz and Watsonville.

I know Looker to really incentivize keeping their workforce local.