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.
The Los Angeles-to-San Diego rail corridor was once again severed by storms that brought on mudslides, putting the coastal rail line in jeopardy.
As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, this is the fifth time in three years that Southern California rail service was interrupted by damage from coastal erosion. Some beaches in San Clemente have shrunk by as much as five feet per year since 2001. “In late 2022, workers had to repair tracks that had slipped more than 2 feet toward the ocean due to erosion.”
The repeated closures have led to a precipitous drop in ridership. “[L]ast May, during one of the previous closures, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that ridership had dropped to between 40% and 50% of pre-pandemic levels after recovering to about 75% of earlier ridership.”Local agencies are planning mitigation measures, but sea level rise likely means the rail line will require relocation.
FULL STORY: California storms sever Amtrak, commuter rail line once again
State Leaders Warn of Risks to Southern California Rail Corridor
Coastal erosion and rising sea levels threaten one of the nation’s most scenic—and strategically important—rail corridors.
SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line
Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.
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