Study Touts Improvements To Rail Route Between SD And Central CA

SAN DIEGO, CA — Key improvements to the heavily traveled coastal rail line between San Diego and Central California could make the route faster and more affordable than driving a car while significantly reducing air pollution, according to a feasibility study released Thursday.

The analysis of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo corridor, known as LOSSAN, by Caltrans and the Cleveland National Forest Foundation posits the addition of a double-track train tunnel beneath Miramar Hill and a transit station at University Town Center.

The underground passage east of Interstate 805 would shorten the route between San Diego and Los Angeles by about three miles and reduce travel time by six to seven minutes, according to the document.

The study also found that the tunnel would lead to an increase of 1,300 to 1,700 discretionary passengers per day, thereby reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 to 84,000 metric tons; make train travel between Los Angeles and San Diego an average of 3% faster than automobile travel at peak hours; and prove competitive cost-wise, costing a transit rider about $180 per month as opposed to roughly $500 per month for driving a car.

The new depot would provide connections to bus and light-rail service, and offer bicycle and pedestrian access, making it easier for train travelers to take advantage of transit options in the San Diego area, the report states.

The state transportation agency, the national forest foundation and the San Diego Association of Governments have a shared goal "to increase rail ridership in this corridor by reducing travel time and making other multimodal improvements," Caltrans I-5 Corridor Director Allan Kosup said.

"Improving the LOSSAN corridor will make transit a more convenient option for San Diegans, reduce demand for (Interstate 5) and assist in meeting air-quality goals," Kosup said.

Duncan McFetridge, founder of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation, said members of his group were "very encouraged by the results of this feasibility study."

"It is a very important first step locally for realizing the dream of making transit competitive with the automobile and for curbing climate change-inducing emissions in our region," he said.

McFetridge added that bolstering transit options "goes hand-in-hand with creating sustainable solutions to our regional housing crisis."

The study of potential improvements to the LOSSAN corridor — the second-busiest intercity rail route in North America, according to transit officials — is a result of a legal settlement between the state and the forest foundation, which challenged Caltrans' approval in 2013 of plans to widen I-5 from La Jolla to Oceanside.

— City News Service