2024 ANNUAL REPORT • 7 $27 M of Grant Funds for Rail Projects SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit Project The SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will provide a dedicated express busway and enhanced bus service along the Monterey Branch Line corridor, spanning approximately six miles between Marina and Sand City/Seaside. The Project benefits the public by allowing transit buses to bypass traffic congestion on Highway 1, thereby improving transit service reliability. The SURF! Project will improve transit service by reducing travel time and increasing service frequency on multiple local and regional bus routes between Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula. The project is fully funded leveraging Measure X funds with various state and federal grants. Recently, the California Coastal Commission required the busway to align with the existing rail tracks to minimize environmental impacts. The project will start construction in 2025. Monterey County Rail Projects The California State Transportation Agency awarded $63 million for rail improvements between Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties, including $25 million for a new King City train station. The final design for track improvements needed to extend Caltrain service to Salinas is almost complete. TAMC is also conducting the environmental review for the Pajaro-Watsonville Multimodal Station Project, which would serve as a major transit hub in an underserved area providing access to multiple transportation options including bus connections and new passenger rail service between the Monterey Bay and the San Francisco Bay Areas.
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