Santa Cruz County Director of Roads Steve Wiesner, left, joins County Supervisor Kim De Serpa, Deputy Administrative Officer Melodye Serino, Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios, Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and artist Bruce Harmon near the entrance to Pinto Lake County Park Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail Project. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

In the not-too-distant past, bicyclists and pedestrians traveling along Green Valley Road did so within an arms-reach of traffic along the busy corridor.

That has changed with the completion of the Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail Project, a wide, two-mile pathway with enough room for bikes and walkers. The trail includes five upgraded bus stops, each with its own unique art.

A group of Watsonville city and Santa Cruz County officials gathered at Pinto Lake County Park Thursday to gut the ribbon on the new trail.

“It’s a beautiful day for a beautiful project,” said Matt Machado, who oversees the county’s Community Development and Infrastructure Department.

The pathway is separated from the road and provides a safe way to travel the busy corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians. Machado said.

“It’s a real investment in the community, an investment in their safety and mobility, and it’s really exciting to see it,” he said, adding that he saw several people already using the path on his way to the event. 

“When you see a project that is desperately needed like this one come to fruition, it’s really special,” he said. 

Santa Cruz County Supervisor Kim De Serpa said that the trail also offers young people a safe route to school, such as nearby Amesti Elementary. 

“Now hundreds of students will have a safe and protected path to get to class every single day,” she said. “Parents no longer need to worry about their children navigating dangerous traffic on their way to school; it’s not just concrete sidewalks or striping, it’s peace of mind, it’s independence for our kids and it’s safety for our families.”

Laurisa Kanzler, who has lived in the area  since 2018, said she and her two kids—7 and 3—love to ride their bikes and  go fishing at Pinto Lake.

The new trail, she said, is a game-changer for residents. 

“I love being able to take my kids here,” she said. “I go walking down here, It feels so much safer not being right next to the road.”

Chris Lyons, who has lived off of Green Valley Road close to 50 years, said the project is a “vast improvement.”

“It’s overdue, but a huge improvement and benefit,” she said. “For the longest time, the walkway was cracked; I went over the top of my handlebars one time; it was dangerous. It’s a major improvement from a safety standpoint, an aesthetics standpoint and from a recreational standpoint.”

The project cost more than $10 million, which County Administrative Officer Carlos Palacios said was “very expensive, but it was money well spent.”

It was funded through the Clean California Grant, 2016 Measure D, and the county’s general fund.

For information, visit sccroads.org

Improvements include:

• A new impervious, two-way multi-use trail spanning the entire corridor.

• Five upgraded Santa Cruz METRO bus stops with new shelters.

• Enhanced road crossings for improved pedestrian safety.

• New landscaping throughout the project area.

• 5 public art installations that celebrate the local community by artist Bruce Harman.

• Green bike lane enhancements funded previously through Measure D, complement the new trail by creating a safer, more connected network for people biking.

• Upgraded roadside drainage to support long-term safety and maintenance.

Todd Guild contributed to this story.

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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