Bus In; Hike to Coast; Bus Out — or Vice Versa

Thanks to some improvements in funding, and the efforts of a coalition of SLV and Santa Cruz organizations, residents and elected officials, the Santa Cruz Metro Board of Directors voted unanimously on April 12 to restore summer weekend service to Big Basin State Park and to Waddell Beach (Rancho del Oso State Park). This popular service was discontinued due to budget cuts during the recession. Now the beautiful hike from Big Basin State Park over the mountains to Rancho del Oso State Park and Waddell Beach at Hwy 1 is one that more people may enjoy without worrying about how to get home once the hike is over.

Service is planned to start on the weekend of June 8 and 9, and will run through the late Fall, with two trips each weekend day extending the Route #35A to Big Basin Park Headquarters (morning and evening), and one late afternoon trip each weekend day extending Route #40 to Waddell Beach.

Special thanks go to Peter Scott, Santa Cruz resident and environmental activist who helped to found the Campaign for Sensible Transportation – a local effort to support public transportation and reduce the number of cars on the road. Peter initiated a petition on the Sensible Transportion website and gathered hundreds of signatures in support of restoring the Big Basin bus service.

For more details as well as information on a host of Santa Cruz transportation issues, visit The Campaign for Sensible Transportation.

Thanks to all the VWC folks who wrote to the Metro or signed the petition too!