The Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail is a Santa Cruz County, California-based nonprofit advocating for the construction of a rail and trail system in the county.

In October 2021, the group came under investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for not registering itself as a political group and for not attributing donations in its ads. ¹

The group is a fiscally sponsored project of the Social Good Fund. ²

Background

People Power, which later became Bike Santa Cruz County, founded the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail in 2002. The group supported using a rail corridor to build a bicycle and pedestrian trail alongside passenger rail to allow for non-automotive transportation options. The idea, modeled after similar installations in Europe, was first proposed in the 1990s. ³

Rail in Santa Cruz Country

The Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail campaigned to bring back passenger rail to Santa Cruz County, California. ⁴ Mainline passenger rail service in Santa Cruz County had ended in 1959 when the final “Suntan Special” ran. The major obstacles to continuing passenger rail service in Santa Cruz County were that the companies who owned the coastal railroad line did not want to provide service or sell the line, legal hurdles in creating a right of way in the mountains, and the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. ⁵

Union Pacific used the coastal rail line to haul cement from Davenport to the national rail network at Pajaro Junction. Union Pacific eventually abandoned the rail line as demand for cement declined and the company decided to concentrate on its long-haul routes. Friends of the Rail persuaded the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission to buy the rail line for $14.2 million in 2010. The group then helped secure $10.2 million from the California Transportation Commission in 2011. By 2012, a passenger rail service was operational. ⁶

Rail And Trail Options

In 2016, the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail supported Measure D, which allocated $120 million towards rail and trail projects on the rail corridor and other transportation projects in Santa Cruz County. In 2020, the first segment of the Rail Trail opened and the county has a goal of completing the entire trail by 2030. ⁷

Creation Of Coast Connect

In 2020, the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail created Coast Connect to campaign for a county-wide rail, trail, and mass transportation network. ⁸

Opposition To Greenway’s Measure D

In 2021, the Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail opposed an initiative by Santa Cruz Greenway to scrap the rail part of the rail and trail construction and just build a countywide trail. Santa Cruz Greenway was successful in making the ballot as Measure D. ⁹

In June 2022, Measure D was defeated. ¹⁰

State Investigation

In October 2021, the California Fair Political Practices Commission investigated Santa Cruz County Friends of the Rail and Trail for failing to register itself as a political organization for not attributing donations behind its ads. ¹¹

The group allegedly engaged in a political campaign against Santa Cruz Greenway’s initiative without filing the proper forms as required by California law when campaign expenditures went over $2,000. The complaint also alleged that campaign materials did not have a “paid for” line as required by California law. ¹²

Former group head Sally Arnold described the errors as minor and pointed out the group is an all-volunteer organization engaging in political activity for the first time. Arnold said the group stopped all political activity and retained campaign counsel to help comply with California laws. ¹³

Supporters

As of March 2024, the Santa Clara County Friends of the Rail and Trail claims the City of Santa Cruz government, the City of Watsonville government, and the Santa Cruz County government as supporters. The group also claims Bike Santa Cruz County, Ecology Action, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the Sierra Club, and Coastal Rail as supporters. ¹⁴

Coast Connect also claims Bike Friendly Watsonville, Youth for Climate Justice, the Pajaro Valley Cesar Chavez Democratic Club, the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party, and the Santa Cruz Climate Action Network as supporters. ¹⁵

Leadership

The current Santa Clara County Friends of the Rail and Trail board chairman is Matt Farrell. ¹⁶ Farrell is also involved with other civic projects in Santa Clara County. ¹⁷

1. Hartman, Melissa. “Friends of the Rail and Trail under Investigation for Political Practices.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129131224/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/10/28/friends-of-the-rail-and-trail-under-investigation-for-political-practices/.
2. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/.
3.  “History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
4. “History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
5. “History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
6. “History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
7. “History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
8. History of Friends of the Rail & Trail.” Coast Connect, June 24, 2020. https://coastconnect.org/history-of-friends-of-the-rail-trail/.
9. Hartman, Melissa. “Friends of the Rail and Trail under Investigation for Political Practices.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129131224/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/10/28/friends-of-the-rail-and-trail-under-investigation-for-political-practices/.
10. “Landslide Election Delivers Mandate for Rail & Trail Projects.” Coast Connect, July 11, 2022.
    https://coastconnect.org/landslide-election-delivers-mandate-for-rail-trail-projects/.
11.  Hartman, Melissa. “Friends of the Rail and Trail under Investigation for Political Practices.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129131224/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/10/28/friends-of-the-rail-and-trail-under-investigation-for-political-practices/.
12. Hartman, Melissa. “Friends of the Rail and Trail under Investigation for Political Practices.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129131224/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/10/28/friends-of-the-rail-and-trail-under-investigation-for-political-practices/.
13. Hartman, Melissa. “Friends of the Rail and Trail under Investigation for Political Practices.” Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129131224/https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2021/10/28/friends-of-the-rail-and-trail-under-investigation-for-political-practices/.
14. “About Fort.” FORT. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.railandtrail.org/about-fort.
15. “Endorsers.” Coast Connect. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://coastconnect.org/endorsers/.
16. “About Fort.” FORT. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.railandtrail.org/about-fort.
17. “Matt Farrell – Santa Cruz Community Credit Union.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 25, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-farrell-6163b732.