Surfrider supports the expeditious realignment of 1.7 miles of railroad off of Del Mar's eroding bluffs in order to preserve the iconic beaches below and protect public safety.
However, there will be significant challenges over the next 15-30 years to ensuring the project is successful. Challenges include funding uncertainties for a project with an estimated cost of $3 billion, not to mention the potential regulatory hurdles of finding an alternative location. Furthermore, partial bluff failures in 2019 and 2021 underscore the need to stabilize the train tracks for the sake of public safety until they can be moved. Bluff stabilization comes with negative tradeoffs for the beach below, including beach-killing seawalls and the potential for temporary loss of public access. Surfrider intends to monitor the process until track realignment is complete. During this interim period, our priorities are to minimize the negative effects of the bluff stabilization work while pushing for maximum mitigation in the form of beach access projects along the affected stretch of coast.
Relevant Posts
COASTAL PRESERVATION
Our chapter maintains two volunteer-led committees dedicated to issues related to the preservation of our coast. You can learn more about them by clicking below, or start HERE to get some background on Surfrider's Coastal Preservation Initiative