Five options for moving the railroad tracks off the Del Mar bluffs will go through an environmental review this spring.
On Friday, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) board voted to advance all five alternatives, although some face opposition.
"The requirement under the California Environmental Quality Act and the requirements of the national Environmental Protection Act ... demands that you put forth alternatives that you know can be problematic but at least have some level of credibility so that the totality of the environmental analysis and the ultimate decision-making actually has some authority going foward," said Joe LaCava, SANDAG's vice chair.
One option is described as "no-build," in which the tracks remain where they are and the bluffs reinforced.
Two alternatives involve tunneling under Del Mar — which residents oppose.
Another one involves double tracking and reinforcing the bluffs.
The final option is to tunnel around the city and under the fairgrounds, which fairgrounds officials oppose.
According to SANDAG’s value analysis study, these four are the cheapest options. To double track the rail line and reinforce the bluffs would cost $1.9 to $2.5 billion.
The options for tunneling under Del Mar would cost between $3.3 and $5 billion. Tunneling from Interstate 5 to the San Dieguito Bridge, with part of the tunnel going underneath the fairgrounds, would cost between $3.8 and $5.1 billion.
Because of Del Mar’s steep topography, tunneling is the only option to move the tracks inland.
"What we have here is the beginning of a discussion," Escondido Mayor Esther Sanchez said. "We have to get them off the bluffs. We know that so how do we do this?"
Sanchez is Oceanside's representative on SANDAG's board.
The board voted 13-3 to advance all five options, with the cities of Encinitas, Escondido and Coronado voting against.
SANDAG says the routes could be further refined during the environmental impact review process, which is expected to start this spring.
