The train tracks on the bluffs of Del Mar are part of the vital 351-mile Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo, or LOSSAN rail corridor, connecting San Diego to the rest of the nation. Hundreds of people and millions of dollars of goods move on the tracks daily.
But the corridor is threatened by eroding bluffs and rising sea levels.
Whenever a bluff collapse disrupts service, it not only inconveniences commuters but also has a major economic impact on the region.
“And it's important to the military, too, because it's a strategic railway,” said Lesa Heebner, board chair of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
She said it’s essential to make the rail line safe and stable. And that could mean moving it inland.
“We're seeing dangers on the cliffs all up and down the coast in California,” she said.
According to a county grand jury report, between August 2018 and February 2019, there were six collapses along the Del Mar Bluffs.
Because of Del Mar’s steep topography, tunneling is the only way to move the tracks inland.
SANDAG staff have narrowed the options to four from the more than a dozen alternatives.
"SANDAG came up with four alignments for us to take a look at, including the no-build that would then be studied," Heebner said. "And a lot of people's questions that they have will be answered during that study period in the Environmental Impact Report, or EIR.”
These four are the cheapest options. according to SANDAG's value analysis study. Friday, the board will vote on which of the four to move forward to the next stage.
The current options are slightly changed from the ones released last summer. The most notable change is to the alternative with a tunnel under the Del Mar Fairgrounds — a plan the fairgrounds objected to, saying construction would put a stop to the San Diego County Fair for many years. The revised version of that option goes around most of the fairgrounds.
The other two options involve tunneling under the city of Del Mar. Residents have opposed these, citing environmental, noise and vibration concerns along with the effect on property values.
The fourth option was added, leaving tracks where they are and reinforcing the bluffs.
The SANDAG board meeting begins at 9 a.m.
