The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is supporting Caltrans against a lawsuit aimed at stopping the construction of new lanes on Highway 1.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is supporting Caltrans against a lawsuit aimed at stopping the construction of new lanes on Highway 1 between Soquel Avenue and Morrissey Boulevard. It has even voted to give Caltrans $500,000 for its defense fund, as the state insisted. It is not, however, happy that it will have no say in developing the defense strategy. This feeling was summed up by County Supervisor John Leopold, an RTC commissioner: “We have no say in what happens in the legal strategy, but we give a blank check to Caltrans.”
At stake is whether to widen that section of highway from four to six lanes. But the plans also call for the possible of addition of two additional carpool lanes at a later date, making that stretch of highway eight lanes wide. Though the Commission approved the expansion, Caltrans was its lead agency in its environmental report, so it was sued over the expansion project. On the other hand, the Commission holds responsibility for the entire project. Since it is paying for Caltrans lawsuit, it wants a say on how it is handled. Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
