Public Works Projects

City Council meeting of 6/24/2025

DeLaveaga Golf Course – Roofing Repair Project (c402604) 

Robert Dericco, Engineering Associate (831) 420-5519

• Plans
• Specifications

The City will study the condition of existing caves and rock formations surrounding Lighthouse Point and recommend options to protect, restore, and/or relocate infrastructure along Lighthouse Point, consistent with the City’s Local Coastal Program, as part of the City’s balanced approach to coastal management. This project will inform the City’s next steps, which could include a capital investment project for Lighthouse Point once the study is complete.

Timeline: June 2025 - December 2026

Cost: $350,000

Contact: Kevin Crossley - kcrossley@santacruzca.gov; 831-420-5164

Joshua Spangrud, Senior Civil Engineer  (831) 420-5178   

The City of Santa Cruz Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project aims to enhance public safety, improve seismic resilience, and upgrade traffic barriers on the bridge. The project will install new piles, extend the existing pile caps to incorporate the new piles, construct a new line of columns, place new bent caps, and widen the bridge deck.

In addition to making the bridge more resilient to earthquakes, the project will result in a bridge deck with 6-foot-wide bike lanes and a 7.5-foot-wide sidewalk along the south (ocean) side to support a two-way pedestrian path of travel. The current elevated curbs along the bike lanes will be replaced with standard 6-inch-high curbs to improve the bicycle user experience. In addition, the current solid concrete vehicular barrier will be replaced with see-through barrier rails, allowing for better harbor and ocean views. A new County sewer force main serving Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel, and Aptos will also be upsized and included in the project

Construction Timeline: January 2025 to January 2028

Estimated Construction Cost: $50 million

Visit the project webpage for more information, including plans and specs.

City Council meeting of 6/24/2025

Soquel/Front and Locust Street Garage Elevator Repairs (c401509 and c402106) 

Robert Dericco, Engineering Associate (831) 420-5519

• Elevator Condition Report 
• Specifications

Scott Glucs, Associate Professional Engineer, (831) 420-5086

This project will confirm that FEMA has determined that the San Lorenzo River levee system meets the design, data, and documentation requirements of 44 CFR 65.10; it therefore can be shown on a a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) as reducing the base flood hazard. This determination is based on a submittal, by or on behalf of a community, which includes 44 CFR 65.10—compliant data and documentation, certified by a registered professional engineer. 

For more information, visit our San Lorenzo River Levee Projects webpage. 

Danilo Cabreros, Assistant Engineer II, (831) 420-5420

The project will rehabilitate the West Cliff multi-use path. Work will include repaving failing sections of the path and surface sealing the entire length of the path from Swanton to David Way to increase the lifespan of the asphalt path.

Estimated cost: $250,000

Estimated construction: August 2025 - September 2025

2024.06.18 - Project Specifications

2024.06.18 - WEST CLIFF PATH REHABILITATION PLANS

The 800 West Cliff Drive Road Realignment Design project aims to reroute a 400 foot section of West Cliff Drive inland near a vulnerable portion of the coastline that was damaged in the December 2023 and January 2024 storm events. The new road alignment would be located on property that is currently part of Lighthouse Field State Beach Park. The added road set back would provide a buffer for the road to account for the anticipated natural erosion of the area based on 50 and 100 year erosion models.

Construction: May 2026 - December 2026

Cost: $1,800,000

Contact: Kevin Crossley - kcrossley@santacruzca.gov; 831-420-5164

City Council Meeting of January 14, 2025

Contact: Danilo Cabreros, Assistant Engineer II, (831) 420-5420

Scope of Work: The work to be done consists in general of installing radar detection system at 26 signalized intersections citywide. The project will also install yellow retroreflective borders around traffic signal heads at 41 signalized intersections citywide.

Estimated Cost: $1,240,000.000

Construction: April 2025 - December 2025

Project Documents:

• Project Plan
• Project Specifications

The Bay Corridor improvements between West Cliff and California will connect existing multiuse paths, parks and open space, Bay View Elementary School, affordable senior housing, multifamily housing, and high frequency transit lines with a complete street design. The project will include separated bike lanes, new intersection configurations at California, Laguna, and West Cliff, transit boarding islands and new crossings. It's being paired with a future city paving project.

The improvements to the Bay Corridor will create a complete street that connects West Cliff Drive to the University of California Santa Cruz. A complete street is a roadway designed to accommodate all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders, people with disabilities, and vehicles. The goal of a complete street project is to create safer, more accessible, and more inviting streets that promote active transportation and enhance community connectivity.

Construction: July 2026 - December 2027

Cost: $1,000,000

Contact: Claire Gallogly, Transportation Planner, cgallogly@santacruzca.gov 

Review Concept Plans(PDF, 20MB)

The Bay Corridor improvements from California to Escalona and Nobel to High will connect existing multiuse paths, parks and open space, Bay View Elementary School, affordable senior housing, multifamily housing, and high frequency transit lines with a complete street design. The project will include separated bike lanes, transit boarding islands, and new signalized crossings at King and Mission. The project will be implemented in phases, with this section coordinated with Caltrans' Mission Street Maintenance Project.

Construction: December 2026 - December 2027

Cost: $4,000,000

Contact: Dan Estranero, Associate Professional Engineer (831) 420-5189

Review Concept Plans

Review Concept Plans(PDF, 4MB)

West Cliff Drive to California Street

Features

• Two-way Separated Bike Lane adjacent to La Barranca Park
• Coordination with Santa Cruz METRO on transit boarding islands and stop consolidation
• Crossing improvements connecting across Bay

Estimated Schedule: Summer 2025 with the pavement maintenance project

California Street to Mission Street (Two Phases)

Features

• Two-way Separated Bike Lane adjacent to Bay View Elementary
• Coordination with Santa Cruz METRO on transit boarding islands and stop consolidation
• Connectivity to Coastal Rail Trail and Bay View Elementary

Estimated Schedule

• Phase 1 connects to Bay View Elementary in with a Caltrans project in 2026/27
• Phase 2 connects Bay View Elementary to Mission Street with a Caltrans project in 2026/27

Mission Street to Escalona Drive

Features

• Two-way Separated Bike Lane adjacent to Bay View Elementary
• Changes at the Bay Street/Mission Street signalized intersection to improve multimodal access across state highway in coordination with Caltrans
• Connection between two-way Separated Bike Lane and one-way Separated Bike Lane at King Street or Escalona Drive

Estimated Schedule: Summer 2026

Escalona Drive to Nobel Drive

Features

• One-way Separated Bike Lane on both sides of roadway and pedestrian facilities on the northbound side
• Reduction in the number of auto lanes
• Coordination with transit
• Plan already approved, initial bids rejected due to cost, awaiting construction

Estimated Schedule: Spring 2025 with the pavement rehabilitation project

Nobel Drive to High Street

Features

• Improved multimodal connectivity to UCSC
• Separated bike lanes
• Coordination with transit

Estimated Schedule: Summer 2026

City Council meeting of 5/9/2023

Contact: Dan Estranero, Associate Professional Engineer (831) 420-5189

The Project consists of installing protected bikes lanes and pedestrian pathway, ADA curb ramps, roadway signs, striping and markings along Bay drive, from Escalona Drive and Nobel Drive. The project has been incorporated into the 2024 Pavement Rehabilitation Project.

Construction Timeline: Currently under construction with an expected completion of June 2025

Estimated cost: $300,000

• Plans
• Specifications

Front Street is experiencing major growth from new developments and a concentration of transit service with the new Metro Transit Center. This project will add dedicated transit lanes on Front Street, add new crossings to the paseos that connect with the riverwalk, and reduce travel time delays along the corridor. The initial phase of work takes place from Cathcart Street to Laurel Street and at later phase will make improvements around the Soquel Avenue intersection on Front Street.

Construction: January 2025 - June 2026

Cost: $5,000,000

Contact: Matthew Starkey, Transportation Manager (831) 420-5182

Downtown Intersection Improvements – 90% Design Approval Plans

Build sidewalks on both sides of Laurel Street between King Street and Escalona Drive where none are currently present.

Construction: March 2026 - December 2027

Cost: $1,070,000

Contact: Matthew Starkey, Transportation Manager (831) 420-5182

About

The Coastal Rail Trail is part of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network Master Plan — envisioned 20 years ago by then-U.S. Senator Sam Farr—providing a continuous and separated bicycle/pedestrian path spanning the entire 32-mile length of the Santa Cruz County coast.

There are 20 Coastal Rail Trail segments altogether that are planned and managed by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission. Coastal Rail Trail Segments 7 and 8 and part of Segment 9 run through the City of Santa Cruz.

Segments 8 & 9: Pacific Avenue to 17th Avenue 

Construction Est.: Summer 2026
Matthew Starkey, Project Manager (831) 420-5182

Coastal Rail Trail Segments 8 and 9 Project is a 2.2-mile bicycle and pedestrian system that extends along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line corridor, from the Beach Street/Pacific Avenue Roundabout on the west to the eastern side of 17th Avenue on the east.

Segment 8 (0.6 mile) is comprised of a Class IV on street bicycle system and pedestrian sidewalk improvements. Segment 9 (1.6 miles) is comprised of a multi-use bicycle and pedestrian trail.

The goals of this project are to increase the numbers of people biking and walking, improve safety and mobility of non-motorized users, and provide high-quality connections to schools, parks, and community facilities.

In December 2022 this project was awarded $35.7 million in Active Transportation Program grant funding through the California Transportation Commission.

When constructed, this project will be part of the planned 32-mile Coastal Rail Trail that traverses the entire coastline of Santa Cruz County. A part of the Segment 8 project, the San Lorenzo River Trestle Trail widening, was accelerated ahead of the rest of the segment and was completed in May 2019.

Coastal Rail Trail Segments 8 and 9 design completion is expected in the spring of 2024. Permits are expected in the winter months 2024-25 and construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2025.

• Click for larger map here
• FAQs Regional Transportation Commission
• Environmental Review/CEQA
• View Open House Video 3.31.22
• Segments 8 & 9 Open House PowerPoint 3.31.22
• Segments 8 & 9 – Schematic Plans (Ultimate Trail)
• Segment 8 Plans with Public Comment (Open House, BAC, EDTAC, TPWC)
• Segment 9 Plans with Public Comment (Open House, BAC, EDTAC, TPWC)
• Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) September 2022
• DEIR presentation slides from Oct. 19 public me
• Video recording of Oct. 19 DEIR public meeting
• Segments 8 & 9 - Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) January 2023

Project Locations

The General Engineering and Transportation Engineering divisions meet annually to review roadways planned for pavement rehabilitation and identify where the priorities of pavement rehabilitation and transportation network improvements overlap. The Prospect Heights and Harvey West neighborhoods met that criteria for the 2025 project.

Prospect Heights and Morrissey Blvd. (View Striping Plan)

In Prospect Heights, the clockwise loop of Pacheco Avenue, Prospect Heights, and Morrissey Boulevard to LaFonda Avenue were identified for the project. The transportation improvements are focused on school access to DeLaveaga Elementary School and Harbor High School.

The initial design eliminated parking on Pacheco Avenue between Morrissey Blvd. and Allerton Street to create a bike lane to connect to the bike boulevard on Allerton Ave. and back connection to DeLaveaga Elementary School. This section was refined to restore parking just after the Morrissey Blvd. intersection and remove the bike lanes to be replaced with shared lane markings. This decision was supported by additional review of vehicle volumes and speed data.

On Morrissey Blvd. the initial design removed parking on the southern side of Morrissey Blvd. from south of Holway Drive to Prospect Heights, and both sides between Heather Court and Prospect Heights in order to connect the missing segment of bike lanes. The refined design restores parking on the southern side of Morrissey Blvd. north of Heather Court. Parking was chosen on the north side of Morrissey Blvd. because it provides the most potential parking stalls. In front of the Elementary School, parking was eliminated to improve visibility of the driveway and crosswalk near Heather Court. This decision was informed by an overnight parking count.

Harvey West (View Striping Plan)

In Harvey West, the project will include Encinal Street, Dubois Street, Harvey West Boulevard, and Coral Street between Harvey West Boulevard and River Street. The pavement rehabilitation treatment is expected to be cold-in-place recycling, a treatment that reuses existing materials in the roadway. The transportation improvements are focused on bicycle and pedestrian access along Encinal Street.

Project Timeline

• The project was presented at the District 1 Open House on October 24, 2024 and approved at the Transportation and Public Works Commission on November 18, 2024.
• Neighbors provided additional feedback and requested a neighborhood forum to review the Prospect Heights component. The striping plans were updated based on input from neighbors and will be presented at a public open house on March 4, 2025.
• Community feedback will be considered and incorporated into a final revision of the striping plans after the open house.
• Construction dates will be determined by available funding and staffing in early 2026 after approval by City Council (date TBD).  

Project Open House

A Prospect Heights and Morrissey Blvd. Paving Project open house was held on March 4, 2025 from 5-6:30 p.m. at DeLaveaga Elementary School. Community members were invited to meet staff from the city’s Public Works team, review project plans, and provide feedback.

Project Contact

Matthew Starkey, Transportation Manager (831) 420-5182

Install pathway lighting and rehabilitation the path on the San Lorenzo River Levee from Laurel St to the river mouth.

Construction: March 2026 - December 2027

Cost: $1,495,000

Contact: Matthew Starkey, Transportation Manager (831) 420-5182

Dan Estranero, Associate Professional Engineer (831) 420-5189

This project proposes a 10‐12 foot wide multi‐use trail along Swanton Blvd, from West Cliff to Delaware, and along Delaware to Natural Bridges Drive. Improved lighting, curb ramps, islands, signs and striping are proposed at the intersection. This project fills a missing gap between West Cliff Drive and Mission Street Extension, providing improved and safer access to many public, commercial and residential activity centers. This multi‐use trail is adjacent to Natural Bridges State Park and State Parks is supportive of the project.

In December 2022 this project was awarded $2.97 million in Active Transportation Program grant funding through the California Transportation Commission.

Estimated construction date: July 2026 - November 2026

Project Concept Plans

In September 2023, the City of Santa Cruz adopted a Traffic Calming Toolkit. The aim of the toolkit is to have a process to evaluate and implement neighborhood traffic calming projects citywide. The Traffic Calming Pilot program is funded in the current year budget as a pilot. 

What is Traffic Calming 

Managing safe and efficient streets is an ongoing concern within many communities. Traffic calming measures provide tools for agencies to implement physical measures that help to manage vehicle traffic on neighborhood streets. Traffic calming plans includes measures which play crucial roles in creating safer, more livable, and sustainable communities.  

By implementing appropriate traffic calming measures, the City of Santa Cruz can create more people-friendly spaces that prioritize the needs and safety of all road users. The aim is to create more pleasant environment for everyone in the community. 

Example traffic calming treatments include speed humps, bulb-outs, slow turn wedges, and traffic circles. View the Traffic Calming Toolkit for more details.  

Process

The City of Santa Cruz issued a Call for Projects and received 334 applications for traffic calming. Submittals were evaluated using the Ranking and Eligibility matrix in the adopted Traffic Calming Toolkit.  

With the available budget, three locations were selected from the 334 submitted applications to proceed to design. These locations ranked high on the matrix and were determined to be feasible with the tools available in the Toolkit.  

Traffic Calming Locations

• Poplar Avenue at Hammond Avenue and Melrose Avenue: A red curb and bollards will be added on the northeast corner of Poplar/Hammond to increase sight distance and improve safety at Branciforte Middle School Entrance. At Poplar/Melrose, the proposal is to add red curb on all approaches of intersection and bollards on eastern leg of Melrose to increase sight distance at intersection. Additionally, a median with turn wedges is proposed to slow turning vehicles at the intersection.
• Seabright Avenue between Pine Street and Windsor Street: The plan adds red curb per the statewide daylighting law (parking prohibition), a pinch point south of James to narrow the roadway and slow traffic, and a median and new striping on the curve between Windham and Windsor to slow vehicular traffic. The series of interventions are expected to work together to slow speeding traffic along the corridor.
• Western Drive between Echo Street and Yosemite Street: Implement striping changes and medians to create narrower lanes and a series of chicanes. This includes the addition of red curbs at some locations. These treatments are designed to achieve speed reduction.

Schedule

City staff will undertake an informal bidding process for the improvements and implement the locations that fit within the approved pilot budget of $75,000. If there are not enough funds available to complete the above three locations, portions of the proposal will be deferred until another project can implement the work. The work is anticipated to take place during the summer of 2025.

Project Documents

• Traffic Calming Toolkit
• Project Plans
• Invitation for Bids, Specifications and Contract Documents

Water Street from Branciforte Ave to Poplar Ave was identified in the Local Roadway Safety Plan and Active Transportation Plan for safety and bicycling improvements. Separated bike lanes are funded by a Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant to achieve those results.

Construction: September 2025 - December 2029

Cost: $416,000

Contact: Dan Estranero, Associate Professional Engineer (831) 420-5189

• Estimated Cost: $2.34M
• Construction Timeline: July 2025 - April 2026
• Contact: Hoi Yu, Senior Professional Engineer, yu@santacruzca.gov, (831)420-5427
•  Project Plans
•  Project Specifications

City Council Meeting of 6/28/2022

Katie Stewart, Senior Professional Engineer (831) 420-5442   

The City of Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility, originally built in 1928, has been expanded and upgraded. The City has contracted with Brown and Caldwell to design crucial repairs and improvements to gaining infrastructure at the Wastewater Treatment Facility. Brown and Caldwell will provide consulting and engineering support services to facilitate several capital investment projects at the WWTF. These projects include but are not limited to the following:

• Headworks and Influent Infrastructure (see separate listing)
• Trickling Filter Mobilized Drive
• High Strength Food Waste Implementation Study
• Process Mechanical Upgrades for Secondary Blowers and Interstage Pumps
• Electrical Wiring replacement at the Influent Pump Station Area
• Pre-Aeration/Grit Area Structural Upgrades and Condition Assessments
• PLC Instrumentation Upgrades
• Effluent Pump and Valve Upgrades
• Miscellaneous Pump and 2W Upgrades
• Piping Replacement in Secondary Treatment
• General Electrical Wiring Repairs
• Effluent Pump Station PLC Upgrade and SCADA Integration 
• Pre-Aeration/Grit Area Electrical Upgrades
• Other miscellaneous rehabilitation projects

Estimated construction: June 2022 - ongoing

The Wastewater Treatment Facility’s electrical distribution system has reached the end of its service life and needs to be replaced. The new system will improve resiliency with a complete main distribution loop and modernize emergency standby generators.

Estimated Cost: $91,000,000

Construction Timeline: 2027-2029

Project Contact: Katie Stewart - kstewart@santacruzca.gov; 831-420-5442

City Council Meeting  of 6/28/2022

Chris Nutley, Engineering Associate and Phone (831) 420 - 5160 

The regional Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) serves over 130,000 residents and treats an average wastewater flow of 10 million gallons per day from City and County Collection Systems. City flow enters the WWTF through the Headworks Area. The WWTF was originally built in 1928 and the Headworks is over 55 years old. Deterioration of mechanical and structural components of the Headworks area was identified in the WWTF Infrastructure and Major Equipment Study as the No.1 priority project. Further condition assessment work identified deficiencies in the headworks vault, 60-inch influent pipe, influent box, meter vault, influent pump station wet well, pumps, motors, and bar screen structure. 

Project cost: $22,000,000

Estimated construction: February 2025 to December 2027

Development of a regional masterplan for the Wastewater Treatment Facility to address future treatment and growth needs.

Estimated Cost: $1,900,000 

Construction Timeline: Fall 2024 - Fall 2026

Project Contact: Kevin Crossley - kcrossley@santacruzca.gov; 831-420-5164

Katie Stewart, Senior Professional Engineer (831) 420-5442   

As part of the Soquel Creek Water District’s Pure Water Soquel project, a Title 22 treatment facility is being built at the City of Santa Cruz Wastewater Facility. The Title 22 facility will provide over 200,000 gallons per day of water for onsite use at the wastewater facility. In the future that same facility may provide water for offsite use.

Cost estimate for the entire Pure Water Soquel project including all of the construction elements outlined at www.soquelcreekwater.org/184/Pure-Water-Soquel is $9 million.

Estimated completion: January 2026