What is the Coastal Rail Trail?
The Coastal Rail Trail is a planned continuous bike route
that runs approximately 44 miles between the City of Oceanside and Santa Fe
Depot in Downtown San Diego. The Coastal Rail Trail was initially planned in
the mid-1990s and is being constructed in segments by SANDAG and the various
cities it traverses.
The Coastal Rail Trail is designed to improve biking and
walking connections to destinations along the San Diego County coastline,
including to homes, businesses, local parks, school and beaches. It is a
critical part of a larger vision for a diverse regional bike system of
interconnected corridors, support facilities, and programs to make biking a
convenient form of transportation for everyday travel.
What is the Coastal Rail Trail alignment in the City of
Encinitas?
The Encinitas stretch of the Coastal Rail Trail consists of
three segments. The first segment, a 1.3-mile bike and pedestrian path in the community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, runs along the east side of the railroad tracks near San Elijo Avenue between Santa Fe
Drive and Chesterfield Drive, and opened to the public in May 2019.
SANDAG recently obtained a state grant to evaluate all
alignment options between Santa Fe Drive and La Costa Avenue. SANDAG will be
working closely with the City of Encinitas, the North County Transit District,
and the California Coastal Commission to evaluate the options over the next two
years.
South
of Chesterfield Drive, the Coastal Rail Trail is anticipated to follow Highway
101 from Chesterfield Drive to Solana Beach. The proposed project includes
restriping this section of roadway. Currently, this project is not scheduled
for implementation.
Why
is the Encinitas project needed and what are the benefits?
This
project will provide safe and convenient connectivity for people who walk and
bike in Encinitas. The path will help to create a network of facilities to
offer more transportation choices in the community by providing safe routes for
people to walk and bike to parks, beaches, shops, schools, and
restaurants.
The
project also will help fulfill the vision laid out in the San Diego Regional
Bike Plan to make riding a bike a useful form of transportation for everyday
travel by connecting people of all ages and abilities to many community assets,
including beaches, schools, neighborhoods, transit, employment, and other key
destinations.
The
project is also one of the improvements identified in the North Coast Corridor
(NCC) Public Works Plan/Transportation and ResourceEnhancement Program (PWP/TREP).
The PWP/TREP includes a package of highway, rail, biking/walking,
environmental, and coastal access improvements along San Diego’s North Coast
Corridor – a 27-mile stretch from La Jolla to Oceanside – over the next 30
years.
Who
was responsible for building the first segment of the Coastal Rail Trail in
Encinitas?
The
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the lead agency responsible
for the project. Caltrans served as the construction contract oversight
manager. SANDAG and Caltrans have and will continue to collaborate with the
City of Encinitas, California Coastal Commission (CCC), North County Transit
District (NCTD) and other involved agencies on future project segments.
Will
the palm trees along San Elijo Avenue just north of Verdi Avenue be replanted?
Twelve palm trees along San
Elijo Avenue were removed in early June 2018. This was necessary in order to create
the space for the bikeway in this area of the project. While the palm trees
could not be relocated, twelve Parkinsonia
x ‘Desert Museum’ (Desert Museum Palo Verde) trees were planted at the southern end
of the project area – inside and nearby the Harbaugh Seaside Parkway. Landscaping plans were
designed with the existing corridor in mind – preserving natural habitat and
coastal views.
How
was the first segment of the Encinitas Coastal Rail Trail project funded?
Design,
engineering, and construction of the first segment of the Encinitas Coastal
Rail Trail were funded by federal, state, and local funds, including the
regional TransNet half-cent sales tax
for transportation administered by SANDAG. The project was also partially funded
by a State of California Active Transportation Program grant.
How
can I stay informed about the project?
Visit our
Notices page or sign up to be added to our email list.
Contact
GO by BIKE Public Outreach
401 B Street, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92101
Toll-Free Construction Hotline:
1 (833) 899-BIKE / 1 (833) 899-2453