Resurrected Eastern Access road would harm Pogonip | Petition signatures needed

Revival of an old threat to the integrity of the Pogonip Greenbelt in the City of Santa Cruz has mobilized the Sierra Club and sparked the formation of a new group, Keep the Greenbelt Green. The Club opposes a paved roadway (known as the “eastern access”) through the Pogonip. Proponents envision a road from Hwy. 9 to UCSC which they believe would relieve university-related traffic on the westside of Santa Cruz.

Keep the Greenbelt Green acknowledges the traffic problems in Westside neighborhoods, and supports more effective, energy-efficient and environmentally-sound solutions rather than violating the integrity of City greenbelt lands. Effective solutions to Westside traffic are included in the Master Transportation Study (MTS) now pending before the Santa Cruz City Council.

Keep the Greenbelt Green is circulating a petition to the UCSC Chancellor and the Santa Cruz City Council urging them to reject a roadway through the Pogonip and to implement instead the solutions outlined in the MTS. The petition will be submitted to the City Council at the 3:00 p.m. public hearing December 9, where the Council will take action on the Master Transportation Study.

A paved, heavily-used roadway through Pogonip’s steep terrain would severely damage its natural beauty and wildlife habitat, and would replace its peaceful serenity with traffic noise and air and water pollution. For many in our community, as well as the resident wildlife, Pogonip is a sanctuary from the urban world. Roads and traffic have no place in Pogonip.

How to help

• Sign a petition. Petitions are available for signing at the Sierra Club office, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz (phone 426-HIKE), or at various locations in the City of Santa Cruz (phone 429-6166). They may also be obtained on line at sensibletransportation.org/greenbelt, along with a flyer and a fact sheet on the “Eastern Access.”
• Download a petition and gather signatures.
• Email the Santa Cruz City Council (citycouncil@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us) and Chancellor Greenwood (mrcgrnwd@ucsc.edu) to oppose a road through the Pogonip.
• Contact 429-6166, or greenbelt@sensibletransportation.org to volunteer or for more information
• Come on the Dec. 6 Pogonip hike to view proposed routes for the roadway.

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