WATSONVILLE, Santa Cruz County — October 24, 2026. A section of trail near Pajaro Valley High School is the focus of a new walking and cycling connection being developed at the city’s western edge. The City of Watsonville’s Public Works Department scheduled a Lee Road Trail Phase 1 ribbon-cutting for October 24, 10 a.m. to noon, at Lee Road and Harkins Slough Road. That announcement explains the project’s design and planned public event, although the posted notice by itself does not establish whether the event took place as planned.
What the first phase connects
According to the city’s official announcement published October 19, this phase adds walking and biking facilities connecting the high school area to the Santa Cruz Land Trust’s Slough Farm trails. The city described the adjoining farm trails as being under construction when the announcement was issued, so the first-phase opening is not evidence that every downstream trail segment is already finished or accessible.
How the city says the work was funded
The event notice identifies three funding sources: a $1 million federal appropriation secured through Representative Jimmy Panetta’s office, a $700,000 Proposition 68 Green Infrastructure Grant obtained by the land trust and funding from Measure D. These are identified components of the project financing, not an independently audited construction total or a final cost accounting.
Why the connection matters locally
Routes away from busy road lanes can offer an alternative for students and neighboring residents who walk or bike. But the safety of each crossing, trail access hours, maintenance responsibilities and any connection to an unfinished adjoining segment need their own current confirmation. For maps, construction and future public input, residents can consult the Watsonville Public Works office rather than assume the full trail network is complete.
Sources: Watsonville Public Works official October 19 event notice and municipal department webpage, reviewed October 24, 2026. No eyewitness claim or post-ceremony outcome asserted. Community updates: Watsonville News.
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