CA: Unmet transit needs focus of Thursday Santa Cruz County RTC meeting

The unmet needs of those who are dependent on public transit — including elderly residents and people with disabilities — will be discussed by local transportation leaders through financial perspectives at a public meeting this week.

At a 9 a.m. meeting Thursday in Watsonville, staff with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will detail gaps they, in collaboration with other regional services providers, discovered in the county’s transportation network while compiling the 2026 Unmet Transit and Paratransit Needs List.

Among the transit needs identified as high priority during the annual investigative process were accessibility for seniors, people with disabilities and low-income individuals, transportation for local caregivers, transportation for low-income families with children, affordable or free transit programs, better access to information, publicity and outreach, access to taxi services and rideshare options, intercounty and regional paratransit connections, transit to high density and mixed-used areas, UC Santa Cruz transit services, passenger rail service, greater system efficiency and commuter service.

The list was put compiled with support from the commission’s Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee and will be referred to when the commission and its local transit partners make decisions about future investment in services throughout the region.

Key partners for the commission who provide transit options directly to the underserved populations targeted by the unmet needs list include Santa Cruz Metro, Community Bridges and the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County.

State funding

On the commission’s consent agenda, typically approved in one motion, is a recommendation to approve annual funding to these same local organizations that is provided each year by state programs. The item comes as a follow-up to the commission’s April 2 approval of its fiscal year 2026-27 budget.

As the state-designated regional transportation planning agency, the commission is responsible for doling out Transportation Development Act revenue provided through the quarter-center share of California’s 7.25% sales tax, according to the commission’s agenda report. The commission must do the same with State Transit Assistance funds, generated by a tax on diesel fuel.

The commission’s staff has recommended awards of $9.3 million in state development act funds and $4.5 million in state transit assistance funds to Santa Cruz Metro, $108,897 in development act funds to the Volunteer Center, $914,735 to Community Bridges and $1.9 million to the commission itself for administration and planning purposes, also coming from the development act pot of funding.

These totals were appropriated in the commission’s April 2 budget hearing, but they have subsequently stirred up some frustration. According to the minutes from the April 14 Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee meeting, some members of the committee commented that the partner agencies were getting a smaller percentage of the development act funds compared to the prior year, due to more money being allocated to the commission’s reserves.

The commission’s allotment, according to the staff report, reflects a slightly higher level of funding needed for administration compared to previous years because of a 2024 organization restructuring effort and the creation of new positions.

IF YOU GO

• What: Santa Cruz County RTC meeting.
• When: 9 a.m., Thursday.
• Where: Watsonville City Council chambers at 275 Main St., Suite 400 (fourth floor), in Watsonville. Zoom participation is at: us02web.zoom.us/j/89597173447

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