Plans for a temporary walking and biking path on an unused rail bridge over the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor were advanced by the Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday. It could offer some relief to business owners who have reported declining revenues since construction began on Murray Street Bridge earlier this year.
Despite city staff advising the council to ditch the plan, in part due to an estimated $1.7 million price tag, the council voted 5-1 in favor of pursuing additional funding and continuing with next steps for the rail path as part of a package of relief efforts for businesses.
The rail bridge crosses the harbor parallel to Murray Street Bridge, which first closed to westbound traffic in March and entirely shut down in June. Murray Street Bridge is expected to partially reopen in February, then close again fully at different stages of construction through 2028.
The $70 million Murray Street Bridge project includes new support pilings and columns to better withstand earthquakes, widened bike lanes, a revamped pedestrian sidewalk and a new sewer pipeline.
‘Waiting to see who will next go out of business’
Since construction started, area businesses have described declining foot traffic and revenue.
“I know this was a planned project,” said Santa Cruz City Councilmember Renee Golder. “But when the reality hit I think it really created an emergency situation for the business owners in the area.”
Patrice Boyle, owner of restaurant La Posta on Seabright Avenue, said on Tuesday that the bridge shutdown has upended her life and the lives of all Seabright residents. “I don’t want you to take a wait-and-see attitude,” she told the city council, “because it’s just waiting to see who will next go out of business.”
Seabright Social, a pub at Seabright Avenue and Murray Street several blocks east of the closed bridge, announced on social media Aug. 14 that it would close its doors next month.
Before hosting pedestrians and cyclists, the rail line’s operator would need to approve. In an Aug. 18 letter, Progressive Rail Inc. CEO Andrea Dobbelmann outlined potential safety and legal risks associated with the proposed pathway and asked for additional reports on engineering, safety and regulatory requirements.
The path also needs further approval from the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, which signaled its support for the plan at an Aug. 7 meeting.
Councilmember Susie O’Hara cast the lone vote against the proposal.
“If the city opens up the rail bridge to pedestrians and cyclists, we may be also opening ourselves to unacceptable legal and financial exposure,” O’Hara said, adding that she preferred “direct relief” for businesses rather than solutions based on “guess work.”
A construction crew works on the Murray Street Bridge project in May 2025.
Relief for flagging businesses
The package of measures approved Tuesday calls for:
- Extending water taxi service, which typically ends on Labor Day weekend, into October. It runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays, 5-9 p.m. on Thursdays, and 3-8 p.m. on Fridays.
- Re-establishing bus service to lower Seabright, which stopped when the Murray Street Bridge closed.
- Opening Murray Street Bridge to two-way traffic during one-lane partial bridge closures. Staff recommended against this, and Santa Cruz Transportation Manager Matt Starkey said there wouldn’t be much benefit to travel times.
- Signs to promote businesses in the Seabright and harbor areas.
- Ramping up marketing efforts, including additional advertising and hosting special events.
- Low-interest business loans similar to those offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Exploring a grant program for businesses. However, no funding source for this has been identified yet, said Santa Cruz Economic Development Manager Rebecca Unitt.
- Extending temporary permits for outdoor dining from 2026 to 2029.
- Two hours of free parking at the parking meters on lower Seabright Avenue.
- An ad-hoc committee to coordinate with Seabright and harbor businesses and residents.
“I don’t think any one of these are silver-bullet solutions,” Councilmember and Vice Mayor Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson said. “Hopefully they will contribute to resolving some of the challenges.”
The city council declined to support an electric trolley similar to the 2021 Coast Futura demonstration project, or expanding the Santa Cruzer shuttle van to the harbor area. Each would cost at least $65,000 per month, city staff said.
Some residents expressed frustration with the pace of construction. Kevin Crossley, the city’s assistant director of public works, said, “We’re trying to maximize every opportunity that we can to make this project move along at as quick a pace as possible.”
Murray Street Bridge is the last in the City of Santa Cruz to receive seismic upgrades. First proposed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the project was delayed for decades due to financial and engineering difficulties.
-Jesse Greenspan, Santa Cruz Local, August 28, 2025
