San Diego, CA
SANDAG looks to public for plans moving nearly two miles of tracks along North County bluffs
DEL MAR, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego Association of Governments is asking residents to weigh in on plans to move nearly two miles of railroad tracks from the eroding Del Mar bluffs.
Relocating the tracks is expected to cost billions of dollars, likely from state and federal funds, and could lead to significant changes in North County.
Hundreds of residents attended a meeting Tuesday night to discuss SANDAG’s proposal to move the tracks away from the bluffs all while adding another track in the opposite direction.
“What that does is provide more capacity so we can move more goods up and down the corridor, more trains moving commuters up and down the corridor – and all of that benefits the freeways, the I-5 and the I-15,” said Omar Atayee, an engineer with SANDAG.
SANDAG has proposed three options:
Option A: From the bluffs to the Interstate 5 freeway, the longest and most expensive route, starting in Solana Beach.
Option B: A nearly straight path running under Del Mar.
Option C: An inland route closest to the coast.
“It’s extremely expensive, it’s twice as much as any of the others, it also destroys a lot of infrastructure that the region has already invested in,” said Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner about Option A.
Meanwhile, Option B could run underneath Del Mar homes, which has some residents concerned.
“It’s emotional because they’re coming right under your house,” said one resident who has lived in his Del Mar home for 21 years.
SANDAG is accepting public comments on the proposal through July 19. If you wish to do so, visit SANDAG.org/railrealignment or you can email lossancorridor@SANDAG.org.
“This is definitely going to disrupt a lot of people’s lives,” said Mitch Silverstein with the Surfrider Foundation. “The sooner we can get the rail removed, the sooner we can take the seawalls down and no longer stabilize the bluff. Let nature do what it does best and give our beaches back to the public.”