HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-09-26; Additional Information Regarding Carlsbad Village Railroad Trench Alternatives; Gomez, PazTo the members of the:
CllY COUNCIL
Date~CA _L_CC _L
CM __i_ COO .JL DCM (3) ~
Sept. 26, 2019
Council Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Publi orks
Via: Elaine Lu key, Chief Operations Officer
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2019108
Re: Additional Information Regarding Carls ad Village Railroad Trench Alternatives
This memorandum provides additional information related to the Carlsbad Village railroad trench
alternatives.
Background
On Sept. 10, 2019, the City Council received a presentation from the San Diego Association of
Governments {SAN DAG) regarding the short trench and long trench alternatives of putting the
railroad tracks in atrench in the city's Village and Barrio areas.
Discussion
Following the presentation, City Council members requested additional information regarding ·
the number of pedestrians who risk being hit by a train while crossing at-grade railroad tracks in
the region. This information is contained in the Economic Study Assessing LOSSAN Corridor
Improvement Options -City of Carlsbad) of the "Carlsbad Village Double Track-Railroad Trench
Alternative Economic Analysis and Feasibility Study," dated January 2017. The "Train Incidents"
section (page 19) of the Economic Study document states:
"Incident data from Federal Railroad Administration, the California Highway Patrol's
Computer Aided Dispatch, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department reports show
that Carlsbad and Solana Beach each had six (6) trespasser incidents (injuries or fatalities)
from 1979 to 1998, a nearly 20-year period: However, the number of incidents increased
dramatically in Carlsbad with 22 incidents reported between 1998 and 2015, a 17-year
period. During this same time, Solana Beach, which separated its railroad grade in 1998,
experienced zero trespasser incidents. Looking at injuries and fatalities, the number of
incidents in Carlsbad between 1998 and 2015 total 18 fatalities and four (4) injuries over
17 years."
The data is summarized in Figure 13 of the Economic Study. A link to the complete study is
available on the city website: http://www.carlsbadca.gov/residents/doubletrack.asp
Public Works Branch
Transportation Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 t
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
Sept. 26, 2019
Page 2
Next Steps
The alternatives study and preliminary engineering for Carlsbad Village and Barrio railroad trench
are expected to be completed in spring 2020. In support of the study, the City of Carlsbad and
SAN DAG will coordinate implementation of a public outreach and involvement plan that includes
public workshops and other communications strategies. Depending on funding availability and
the selected trench alternative, the project would be expected to be completed by 2035.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager