To: California Coastal Commission
April 6, 2025
Subject: Support for OCTA Emergency Coastal Development Permit for San Clemente track stabilization work
Dear Chair Cummings, Dr. Huckelbridge, and Commissioners:
The Rail Passenger Association of California (or RailPAC) an all-volunteer non-profit organization representing the interests of rail passengers in this state since 1978. RailPAC requests that the California Coastal Commission approve the Emergency Coastal Development Permit applied for Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to expedite work to stabilize four areas most vulnerable to failure above the railroad track through San Clemente. Over the next three years, OCTA and its partners need to press on with the short- and medium-term projects to protect the OCTA-owned rail corridor through San Clemente and Dana Point. The last thing we would want during the middle of the 2028 Olympics would be another track closure, cutting off San Diego County from passenger rail service.
RailPAC is in full support of all actions necessary to preserve and protect the vital rail line between Los Angeles and San Diego, or LOSSAN line, which for decades has been the 2nd busiest intercity passenger rail corridor in the U.S.- up to 10,000 people a day. It is also a vital freight route that supports the regional and national economy and reduces truck traffic on parallel I-5, further reducing pollution and wear and tear on the roads. Because it is the only direct rail link connecting the principal mainland port of the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet and Camp Pendleton to the rest of the nation, it has been designated part of the U.S. military’s Strategic Rail Corridor Network.
There is a great public need to protect the track, using whatever methods are most effective. Taking the train to San Clemente Pier, from where I live in Fullerton, is how I can get to the beach. When the track is closed in San Clemente, it impedes my access to the coast. It is a very important way for many Southern Californians who cannot, or prefer not to, drive to San Clemente’s beaches.
Passenger rail is also the most environmentally friendly way to move large numbers of people rapidly between the nation’s 2nd and 8th largest cities. When the track is closed, the San Diego-Tijuana bi-national metro area (population 5 million) lacks a railroad connection with the rest of North America. Per passenger-mile travelled, the greenhouse gas emissions of riding even a diesel-powered train is only a fraction of that going by car. More car usage increases greenhouse gas emissions and thus sea level rise.
For California and the nation it is vital that the railroad linking Los Angeles and San Diego be secure, enduring for future generations. San Diego County cannot be allowed to lose its rail connection with the rest of North America. Given the national and statewide importance of the corridor, it is critical that keeping the LOSSAN line through Orange County open be assigned the highest priority.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brian Yanity
Vice President- South and Board Member, RailPAC
Fullerton, California