2024 Laurel Street Surface Seal and Striping Project

Laurel Street is a minor arterial roadway that connects the Westside and Seabright neighborhoods to downtown and is an important route for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and automobiles through the city of Santa Cruz. Over the last few years, the roadway has been impacted by the construction of the Pacific-Front mixed-used development project at 100 Laurel Street and the Pure Water Soquel underground pipeline project between San Lorenzo Boulevard and California Street. With that construction coming to an end, the Public Works Department initiated this effort to knit together the roadway rehabilitation required by both projects. The 100 Laurel Street project has added a new westbound right turn lane from Laurel Street onto Pacific Avenue and modified the striping along Front Street. That project will resurface the roadway and restripe the full width of both roads in the middle of June. The Pure Water Soquel project was anticipated to resurface half of Laurel Street, over their trench, but the Public Works Department realized an opportunity to rehabilitate the entire width and improve striping for entire roadway to reduce future construction impacts on the already heavily impacted corridor. Initially, Public Works only intended to improve striping above the Pure Water Soquel trench for a portion of Laurel Street. As required, the Transportation and Public Works Commission reviewed the Laurel Street Vision Zero improvements from California Street to Chestnut Street on January 23, 2023. The commission approved the plans and denied the appeal of parking loss along the roadway. On March 14, 2023, the City Council (Council) approved the Laurel Street Vision Zero Striping Improvements Plan between Chestnut Street and Cathcart Street and denied that same parking appeal. As part of that action, Council directed staff to evaluate ways to mitigate the loss of parking on Laurel.  The revised design reconfigures parking on Myrtle Street to gain additional spaces, resulting in a net loss of four parking spaces once the project is implemented. Following the Council direction, residents requested crosswalks be added at the intersection with Myrtle Street. Staff evaluated the request and added a crosswalk on the eastern side of the intersection where there were suitable accessible ramps and overhead lighting.