Posted on November 11, 2024
Building on last week’s announcement of $125 million from the California State Transportation Agency to help the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) stabilize a 7-mile stretch of a coastal rail corridor that runs through San Clemente, Rep. Mike Levin announced at a news conference on Thursday, Oct. 31, that another $100 million of federal funding has been secured to support rail infrastructure projects.
Levin delivered the good news at Linda Lane Park in San Clemente, where he was joined by OC Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley, several San Clemente City Councilmembers and Colonel Andrew Baker from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The funding announced by Levin included a $100 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for the OCTA to enhance and protect the San Clemente section of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor – the nation’s second-busiest rail line – and, in particular, a seven-mile stretch that runs between Doheny State Beach through San Clemente to the San Diego County line.
Passenger rail service on Metrolink and Amtrak trains, as well as freight service, was interrupted in San Clemente last winter, and five times since 2021, because of damaging high surf and storm-related landslides that dumped debris on the tracks at four “hot spots” identified by OCTA that need to be addressed at an estimated cost of $300 million.
Additionally, Levin obtained $7.4 million in federal funding to complete Phase II of the Army Corps of Engineers’ San Clemente Shoreline Project, which aims to replenish sand on local beaches. The state has also promised another $80 million from the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program, according to OCTA officials, to further support coastal resilience projects.
Levin, standing alongside local leaders including Foley, San Clemente Mayor Victor Cabral, and the USACE’s Baker, celebrated the new funding for the corridor and local beaches.
Levin highlighted the importance of the 351-mile Los Angeles–San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor, emphasizing that it is “absolutely critical for commuters, for businesses, for tourists, for our military, and for the flow of goods across our region.”
His advocacy helped secure the $100 million federal grant from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration, which was allocated to stabilize and protect the San Clemente portion of the rail line. The investment, Levin explained, will go toward “track improvements that will help protect LOSSAN and ensure its safety, stability, and reliability for years to come.”
In addition to the rail corridor funding, Levin announced the $7.4 million in federal support for Phase II of the San Clemente Shoreline Project, which includes “an additional 86,000 cubic yards of sand” to be pumped onto local beaches. This phase is part of a larger, 50-year commitment from the Army Corps of Engineers to provide “periodic nourishment” of sand, ensuring that “with more sand on the beach, we’ll see greater recreational opportunities for our residents, more visitors to our local businesses, further benefits to our environment, and increased safety and stability of the coastal bluffs.”
The project is a testament, Levin added, to “what we can accomplish across all levels of government when we work together.”
Foley also addressed the audience, expressing her dedication to confronting coastal erosion issues. “I represent the Fifth District, which includes San Clemente, traveling from Costa Mesa all the way down the coast,” she said. Since her election, Foley has committed to understanding and advocating for the coastal rail corridor and sand replenishment needs. She cited last week’s announcement of $125 million from California and celebrated Levin’s efforts to help fund essential improvements to the rail project.
Foley also described the significant interruptions to the rail line in recent years, noting that “since 2021, the LOSSAN rail corridor has been shut down five times cumulatively. That’s about one year’s worth of time; that’s … more in three years than in (the previous)100 years.”
She emphasized that the new funding is “really critical to making sure that we can keep the rail running, but also bringing sand onto our beaches.”
Cabral highlighted the city’s dire need for sand, sharing that many of San Clemente’s beaches have all but vanished.
“In our city in San Clemente, the threshold question that’s been asked repeatedly over the past few months is, are we going to be a beach community? It’s hard to be a beach community without beaches,” he said.
Cabral detailed the loss of shoreline over the past four decades, with some areas reduced to rocky terrain. He also commended City Manager Andy Hall and Leslea Meyerhoff, the city’s Coastal Administrator, for their leadership in managing the multi-level government collaboration necessary to push forward the beach restoration projects.
Cabral also announced that progress was already visible, as “the barges are already here” to complete the second phase of sand placement, adding that this phase will add “approximately 86,000 cubic yards of sand on the beaches from Linda Lane to T-Street.”
He urged residents to visit North Beach to witness the transformation, noting, “If you haven’t had a chance to see North Beach, I urge you to go out and take a look … it is absolutely a beautiful beach.”
Levin commended the partnership with San Clemente officials and the Army Corps of Engineers, especially Colonel Baker, who he calls frequently to stay updated on project progress. Levin also highlighted the importance of maintaining trust with the Army Corps, calling the collaboration “a really key initiative.”
Colonel Baker, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Los Angeles, expressed pride in the Corps’ involvement. He praised the team’s ability to quickly implement the project, noting that they began construction soon after his appointment in December 2023. The Corps had already placed “about 114,000 cubic yards of sand before Memorial Day weekend,” a success Baker credited to “the close partnership and coordination” with San Clemente officials.
Baker outlined the Army Corps’ long-term role in the project, with plans to add 250,000 cubic yards of sand every six years over the next 50 years. He emphasized the magnitude of this commitment, noting that “it takes a great team to make things happen.”
With the completion of Phase II slated for late 2024, San Clemente’s beach restoration project exemplifies a robust intergovernmental collaboration aimed at both preserving the shoreline and stabilizing vital transportation infrastructure over the long term.
