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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)