Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane Project Earns APWA Monterey Bay Chapter Award for Transportation Excellence
Recognized as a 2026 APWA Project of Merit, the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane project delivers major multimodal upgrades; expanding bike safety, improving traffic flow, and enhancing connectivity across Santa Cruz County.
The Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane project was recognized as Project of the Merit in the Transportation Projects Greater than $5 Million category at the 2026 APWA Monterey Bay Chapter Awards ceremony on February 4, 2026.
Mark Thomas supported the County of Santa Cruz by designing multimodal improvements along Soquel Drive, including buffered and protected bike lanes, adaptive traffic signal/transit priority systems, upgraded crossings, curb ramp upgrades, and safety-focused corridor enhancements to reduce congestion, improve reliability, and enhance active transportation connectivity. We also led preliminary and final design efforts, identified right‑of‑way and utility needs early, and maintained an aggressive delivery schedule to successfully advance this five‑mile corridor project.
With 14 exceptional projects nominated across the tri‑county region, we’re incredibly proud to see this project celebrated for its impact, innovation, and dedication to improving multimodal travel in Santa Cruz County. A huge congratulations to the County of Santa Cruz Department of Community Development & Infrastructure and our entire project team. Here’s to delivering safer, more connected corridors for our communities.