Coastal erosion and rising sea levels threaten one of the nation’s most scenic—and strategically important—rail corridors.
The coastal rail corridor between San Diego and Santa Barbara faces growing risks from coastal erosion and climate change, according to a California Senate Transportation Subcommittee. As Phil Diehl explains in The San Diego Union-Tribune, “Landslides and cliff collapses have periodically stopped the trains in Del Mar and San Clemente, and many other places also need improvements and protection from sea-level rise along the 351-mile Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo corridor.” Yet the corridor provides a crucial transportation link for passengers, freight, and military transportation.
According to a Senate report, the cost of making safety improvements to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) corridor could be more than $20 billion. With seven different right-of-way owners, the corridor is a complex system with little precedent in the United States. Researcher Genvieve Giuliano says a long-term solution would be “to create a single statewide agency that would fully integrate the multiple agencies that provide the separate passenger services — Amtrak, Coaster and Metrolink.”
Farther up the coast, the state’s Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently completed its first erosion mitigation project for a roadway, moving a highway segment 400 feet to protect it from landslides.
FULL STORY: Climate change imperils San Diego County’s coastal rail corridor, panelists say
Storms Sever California Rail Line—Again
The coast-hugging rail corridor linking Los Angeles and San Diego faces an uncertain future as mudslides once again force part of the line to close.
Sea Level Rise Threatens an Iconic California Train
A scenic Southern California line could require relocation as rising sea levels destabilize the coastal soil that supports its tracks.
Southern California Rail Service Resumes After Landslide
The corridor has been closed multiple times in the past year as erosion and landslides put coastal rail infrastructure in jeopardy.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research