Podcars, Robo-Taxis, and the Future of Getting Around Santa Cruz

Mar 10

Traffic is more than a daily frustration in Santa Cruz County. It shapes where people can work, how businesses grow, and how connected communities feel to one another. When congestion becomes the norm, it can slow economic activity, reduce access to jobs, and make even short trips feel unpredictable.

That is why a new public forum is putting the future of transportation front and center.

On Thursday, March 26, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., community members are invited to Kennedy Hall at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz, for “Does Santa Cruz County Need Podcars?” The event will explore how emerging transportation technologies such as robo-taxis and Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), or podcars could fit into the county’s mobility future. Seating is limited to 200, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for displays, socializing, and reserved seating.

Two ideas are driving the conversation. The first is autonomous vehicles, including robo-taxis, which are already operating in parts of California. Waymo, for example, describes itself as the world’s first autonomous ride-hailing service and positions the technology as a safer, more accessible, and more sustainable way to get around. The company says its autonomous driving system has shown significantly fewer serious-injury and injury-causing crashes than human drivers across its operating cities.

The second is Personal Rapid Transit, or PRT, often referred to as podcars. In simple terms, PRT is a network of small automated vehicles that travel on dedicated guideways, offering direct trips without the fixed-stop pattern of buses or traditional rail. Santa Cruz PRT describes it as a system of small computer-controlled podcars that carry passengers non-stop from origin to destination.

For Santa Cruz County, the appeal is easy to understand. The region has long wrestled with transportation bottlenecks (including the recent blockage of Murray St.), limited corridor capacity, and major questions about the cost and feasibility of large-scale transit infrastructure. Santa Cruz Works recently highlighted the enormous price tag attached to rail proposals in the county, citing the ZEPRT study’s estimate of $4.28 billion in capital costs, plus $34 million to $41 million in annual operating costs. In that context, it is not surprising that some residents and advocates are asking whether smaller, technology-driven systems deserve a serious look.

That is what makes this forum worth watching. It is a chance for residents to engage directly with a transportation question that is becoming increasingly relevant: how should Santa Cruz blend innovation, affordability, and community needs as it plans for the future?

Event details
Does Santa Cruz County Need Podcars?
Thursday, March 26, 2026
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Kennedy Hall, Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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