Group Protests Highway 1 Widening Project

A group called Stop Highway Widening hung a banner over Highway 1 Monday protesting the $20 million project to add a lane in each direction of the highway between Soquel Drive and Morrissey.

The work began this week with tree trimming alongside the highway and will include overnight shut downs between those exits in June.

The banner was removed by 11 a.m., the group said in a press release.

"Many sustainable transportation activists argue that these opportunity costs make the highway widening too expensive, and that these funds should be used instead on other projects already identified as improving transportation infrastructure in Santa Cruz County," the group wrote in an email from stophwywidening@gmail.com

"This sentiment is far from new to the public; anti-widening groups have been saying this for years. Many community members are outraged with the RTC’s decision to widen Highway One from the Morrissey to the Soquel exits, but despite widespread opposition, little action has been taken against the project.

"The activists responsible for the banner drop wish to bring attention to the issue, as there has been little public notice of the RTC's recent decision and the imminent construction.''