Western Railroad Discussion > Big Trees Special on Santa Cruz Cancelled

Just about as fast as the Santa Cruz Big Trees Pacific passenger special was organized, it has been cancelled due to a threat made by local residents on Union Pacific. No trips will run May 22. More from the fair and balanced Sentienel:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2005/April/20/local/stories/05local.htm

Now in my own analysis, the Santa Cruz Branch's fate looks almost the same as the Monterey Branch. Marina put up a similar fight on returning the Del Monte to service. Aptos seems to have the same mindset for the Santa Cruz Branch. Get your photos now before its all weeds and rust.

What a bunch of BS. Those Santa Cruzians need to get over themselves. What, would they rather have more cars clogging their precious bike lanes?

Much of the noise seems to be coming from a very small group (about 40-50 from what I've been told), many of whom don't even live near the tracks.

Most people I know in SCz would love to have a commuter train as they see it as an environmentally preferrably alternative to Highway 1. This tiny group of bonzos with the Bike groups and SCCARRED are the fringe and a lot of folks down there do NOT like them or agree with them.

Z

God damn it! When the 20 Aptos people bought the houses, did they not notice the railroad tracks behind them? The whole Santa Cruz area needs a big reality check. The area will continue to have more houses being built on the best agricultural land in the central coast, and more and more bodies moving in. This is sad that a perfectly good railroad has to go.

Hopefully this silent majority will stand up and make themselves heard. The polical process responds to the speaky wheel.

Could always get another lawsuit going by speaking out for Americans with Disabilities.

Seems like train transport is inclusive of ADA folks, while bike paths are exclusive.

Quotes from the article:

"After protesters threatened to lie on the tracks, hang signs and file lawsuits,"

"Still, Aptos resident and protester Sylvia Previtali, with Santa Cruz Coalition Against Recreational Rail, said she and fellow SCCARRED members see passenger rail as "the beginning of the end of life as we know it.""

Such an astute observation by Sylvia. Generally, if you lay down on the tracks ahead of a train it is the beginning of the end of life as we (or the protestor) know(s) it.

Santa Cruz County people who bought or built expensive homes with the tracks just outside their back fences are just like the folks along the Surfliner tracks. They moved in and went ballistic when they found that trains actually ran on the tracks.
These folks rank right up there with people who move into the flight path of an airport and start screaming about the noise from planes passing overhead.

Hal

This reminds me of the whole Napa Valley Wine Train thing. People would get sooo worked up over a few trains, meanwhile their streets and roads are increasingly jammed with cars. Why don't they lie in the streets to protest all the Volvo station wagons?

There is a great acronym for these people who opposed the operation of even one train - Citizens Against Virtually Everything - CAVE.

Dave

Local residents would lay on the tracks in front of the train? Run the train, with a Roseville rotary on the point!