In the Lane

The Newsletter of Bike Santa Cruz County - February 2026 - Issue #12

In this Issue:

Save the Date: Santa Cruz Cycle Fair 2026
Capitola Avenue Overcrossing Opens with Improved Bike and Pedestrian Access
City of Santa Cruz Active Transportation Plan Draft Open for Comment
The Secret Behind Happy Communities

Happy February! Read on for the latest Santa Cruz County bike advocacy updates, upcoming events, and ways you can help support our mission to make our streets safer and more bike-friendly.

Save the Date: Santa Cruz Cycle Fair 2026

Bike Santa Cruz County is excited to host our 1st Annual Santa Cruz Cycle Fair on Saturday, April 11th from 11 am - 3 pm at the Bicycle Trip!

The event is designed to bring together the entire Santa Cruz County bike community in all its diversity, and will showcase the power of bikes and biking to enhance quality of life through:

Art & self-expression
Sustainable Transportation
Family activity
Safe mobility
Culture & community focus
Fun

All are welcome! The event is intentionally designed to reach beyond traditional “bike people,” inviting families, kids, seniors, students, and everyday riders to see themselves reflected in Santa Cruz’s bike culture.

Stay tuned - more information will be coming your way soon!

Capitola Avenue Overcrossing Opens with Improved Bike and Pedestrian Access

The new Capitola Avenue Overcrossing spanning Highway 1 is now open! It replaces a 1960s-era bridge with significantly improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. What were once 3.5 foot sidewalks are now 6 feet in width. New Class II striped bike lanes measure 5 feet wide have been installed in both directions. And importantly for speed control, vehicle lanes have been narrowed from 13 to 11 feet.

The project enhances north–south connectivity by linking Soquel Drive to Capitola Village and the future Coastal Rail Trail, in the process improving access to schools, parks, beaches, transit, and businesses. The overcrossing is the first completed element of the larger Highway 1 project, which will also add a new bicycle and pedestrian freeway overcrossing at Mar Vista Avenue linking the Seacliff neighborhood to Soquel Drive and Cabrillo College. Construction on this bridge is expected to be completed in late 2026.

The community is invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration for the Capitola Avenue Overcrossing on Feb. 26, from 4:00-5:00 p.m., at 911 Capitola Road. More information will be posted on the RTC website soon.

RTC Website

City of Santa Cruz Active Transportation Plan Draft is Open for Comment

The city of Santa Cruz's Transportation Engineering Division has published the Draft 2026 Active Transportation Plan (ATP), and is encouraging public input. The ATP, as it is referred to, is a strategic document that outlines policies,

infrastructure projects, and programs to make walking, biking, and using other forms of human-powered or small-vehicle transport safer, more convenient, and accessible for all ages and abilities. It aims to increase non-motorized travel, reduce greenhouse gases, and enhance public health. The current ATP was adopted in 2017.

The final public workshop on the 2026 ATP was held at Gault Elementary School January 28th, and over 80 citizens participated in the open house-styled event. In addition to a thorough presentation of existing projects and identified deficiencies in the bicycle and pedestrian facility network, the plan includes an extensive list of proposed new facilities - each with a prioritization score that will enable a logical rollout of future projects. The entire community is encouraged to review the Draft ATP (PDF) and the Implementation Action Plan (PDF). Email comments to Claire Gallogly, Principal Transportation Planner, at cgallogly@santacruzca.gov by February 27th, 2026.

Draft ATP & More Info

The Secret Behind Happy Communities

PeopleForBikes President and CEO Jenn Dice has noticed something: the world’s happiest countries are also the ones where the citizens routinely ride bikes. And she believes we can spread that same happiness across the U.S.

What do Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands have in common? Not endless sunshine or mild winters. It’s bikes — and safe and connected places to ride! These countries consistently top global happiness rankings, and they’re also some of the most bike-friendly places on Earth. Connected bike lanes, safe streets, and trails weave through communities, giving millions of people the choice to ride for fun, for fitness, and to get where they need to go. Simply put, when bike-friendly countries’ citizens cycle to their destinations, they arrive happy.

Check out this video to hear more of Jenn’s insights at at TED Talk in Fargo, North Dakota: The Secret Behind Happy Communities