Yes on Measure D: William Ow of the Ow Family
OW Family continues American Dream Scholarship tradition, 141 High School Students Receive Scholarships to Attend Cabrillo College.
Please note that this is an opinion piece that HAS been fact-checked. For the facts, see RTC Update
YES on Measure D
We are in one of the most bicycle-conscious cities in California. We are the home to dozens of bicycle and component companies that employ thousands of Santa Cruzans. Bicycles help move our local economy. Bicycles and enjoying the outdoor lifestyle are integral to our West Coast culture.
William Ow
What we lack is a safe way to travel. Santa Cruz has 9% of its population traveling via bicycle yet we are the most dangerous city to ride a bicycle in California. Participation would grow even greater given safe pathways. Think of the thousands of people under the age of 16 who cannot drive. 25% of the population in Watsonville is under 18. We are clogging up the roads, effectively being taxis for our children. If they had a direct and safe path of travel, they could help us take a noticeable bite out of present traffic.
I am in favor of the trail being the priority and not being subservient to the decaying unused rail line. This is not Trail vs Train, as there is no train and no money to create one.
Current roads exist and have a vast and effective network over the entire county. They will not disappear or be used for any other purpose than auto/bus/bike-based transportation. Better to use them more effectively. Heavily revamp the Metro to make it a shining example of efficiency and demand: make them attractive, reliable, dependable, consistent, WiFi activated. Change the attitude of the culture and perception of our local Metro, like the visions we see around the world that we tout and wish we had. Use the Metro as a proof of concept, because if it is not successful, how will rail travelers get to their final destinations once they arrive at their desired train station? If Metro is not successful now, how would spending hundreds of millions of dollars over tens of years for a train make it any more successful?
I am very supportive of freight and passenger rail from the proposed Pajaro Junction to the Central Valley, SF Bay area and south toward Los Angeles. Pajaro has the space for the infrastructure, parking, and easy access as its counter commute to current rush hour patterns. This could help get the majority of people who are commuting to Silicon Valley off Hwy 1. I have been in support of the proposed Pajaro station since I became aware of it in 2004. Yet I have not seen any movement. The Pajaro station has high support and no opposition, yet it shows you how challenging the process is.
If the trail next to the tracks goes forward, it will be a woefully compromised trail. Good intent but poor execution. It would be very narrow like the West Cliff sidewalk with lots of people and limited mobility without hitting each other. Not a working model for safe transportation, while wrecking people's enjoyment of recreation. Then you would have dozens of key locations along the rail corridor (Capitola Trestle, Murray/Harbor Bridge, East Cliff/Boardwalk bridge, to name a few) where the trail would have to detour to the streets and on much longer and more dangerous routes.
If we can activate a larger percentage of the population to take the trail for shorter trips, instead of driving a car, it would relieve pressure off the roadway and traffic at a vastly lower cost. Remember…Think Global, Act Local
It's about the opportunity, using the right tool for the job, not about eliminating rail transit. Trains are a wonderful way to travel and one of my favorite forms of transportation–given the right conditions and demographics. Our community of Santa Cruz County does not fit either metric. A single rail line (one way at a time with crossings; two sets of tracks are not physically feasible given the majority of narrow sections of the corridor) with dozens of street crossings is far from the ideal.
It is about opening this direct artery through the county to a vastly larger percentage of the population. Think about this: the population of Santa Cruz county has only increased 2.69% in the last twelve years and is not predicted to change much in the future. A population of 270,000 is not sustainable for the cost of a new rail system.
It is our lifestyle and technology that allows us to be more flexible, more active–not stuck in the office, at work or at home. This has been amplified by the pandemic. We do not have the population or plan to grow to the point of justifying the cost and magnitude of urban light rail. Critical mass is required to make this type of infrastructure feasible or functional. We would need a population the size of Santa Clara to justify rail. I think we all agree, we do not want to be Silicon Valley.
Opposition
I think it is unconscionable to burden the citizens of Santa Cruz with increased costs and missed opportunities. Have a vision for our community.
It is about a moment in history to make a positive and impactful difference for Santa Cruz. Let's build a world-class, functional, and sustainable trail today. YES on Measure D.
Willam Ow