THIS IS THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE
ON LOSSAN RAIL CORRIDOR
RESILIENCY. GOOD AFTERNOON,
EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I'M SORRY. WE'RE STARTING A
LITTLE BIT LATE HERE. THE SENATE
CONTINUES TO WELCOME THE PUBLIC
AND HAVE PROVIDED ACCESS TO
IN-PERSON PARTICIPATION FOR
PUBLIC COMMENT. FOR TODAY'S
HEARING, WE WILL BE HEARING ALL
OF THE PANELS OF WITNESSES ON
THE AGENDA PRIOR TO TAKING ANY
PUBLIC COMMENT. ONCE WE HAVE
HEARD ALL OF THE WITNESSES, WE
WILL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO
COMMENT ON THE TOPICS THAT ARE
ON TODAY'S AGENDA. THIS IS THE
FOURTH HEARING OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LOW SAND RAIL
CORRIDOR RESILIENCY. SINCE BEING
FORMED, THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS
HEARD FROM SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTS AND RECEIVED WITNESS
TESTIMONY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF THE RESILIENCY OF OUR
COASTLINE AND THE RAIL CORRIDOR
BETWEEN SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SAN
DIEGO. THE DATA IS CLEAR AND THE
MESSAGE MORE URGENT THAN EVER
THAT OUR COASTLINE NEAR THE RAIL
LINE IS AT CRITICAL RISK OF
FAILURE. WHILE I REMAIN
OPTIMISTIC AND APPRECIATE THE
LEADERSHIP THAT WILL HEAR TODAY
AND FROM MANY OTHERS, THE
REALITY IS THAT OUR COASTLINE
AND OUR TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURE ARE AT A
SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE.
WITHOUT A COORDINATED AND
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND RESPONSE
THAT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE
LEVEL OF TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION
AND INVESTMENT THAT IS NEEDED.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND LOCAL
STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK CONTINUE TO
RAISE THE NEED FOR A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO PLANNING,
MAINTAINING AND OPERATING A
COMPLEX RAIL CORRIDOR SUCH AS
THIS ONE 351 MILES IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA. WE'LL HEAR TODAY
FROM LOCAL PARTNERS ABOUT THEIR
RESPONSE TO A RECENT TRACK
CLOSURE IN SAN CLEMENTE, WHICH
CLOSED RAIL SERVICE FOR TWO
MONTHS IN SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY.
SINCE OUR LAST HEARING IN
DECEMBER. WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM
OUR STATE AGENCY PARTNERS,
INCLUDING FOR THE FIRST TIME,
THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY,
THE COASTAL COMMISSION, AND
WELCOMING BACK THE
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY. I'D LIKE
TO THANK TRANSPORTATION, OUR
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY SECRETARY,
OMISAKIN AND NATURAL RESOURCES
SECRETARY CROWFOOT, FOR THEIR
LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS ON
COLLABORATIVE ACTION TOWARD THIS
SHARED GOAL. A HEALTHY COASTLINE
AND WORLD LEADING TRANSPORTATION
CORRIDOR. WHILE THERE ARE
CHALLENGING AND COMPLEX ISSUES
AHEAD FOR US, I'M CONFIDENT IN
OUR ABILITY TO GET THIS RIGHT.
WE NEED ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP,
VISION, DATA, AND BEST AVAILABLE
STANDARDS AND SCIENCE TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. NOW IS THE TIME FOR
OUR COLLECTIVE ACTION. I WANT TO
THANK MY COLLEAGUES, SENATORS
NGUYEN, ALLEN NEWMAN AND UMBERG
FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I'D ALSO
LIKE TO WELCOME SENATOR LAIRD
AND SENATOR SENATOR ARCHULETA
FOR JOINING US. AND THANK YOU
ALSO TO THE PANELISTS AND
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE
TAKEN TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY,
INCLUDING THE SAN CLEMENTE
MAYOR, VICTOR CABRAL. WOULD ANY
OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS LIKE
TO MAKE ANY WORK, SHARE ANY
COMMENTS BEFORE WE BEGIN? I
DON'T SEE ANY. SO WE WILL BRING
UP OUR FIRST PANEL. SO WHILE
THEY MAKE THEIR WAY UP HERE, I
WOULD, LIKE TO WELCOME ANDY
HALL, CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE CITY
MANAGER JASON JEWELL LOW SAND
RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY MANAGING
DIRECTOR DARREN KETTLE, CEO OF
METROLINK, AND DARRYL JOHNSON,
CEO OF. THANK YOU FOR SQUISHING
INTO THE LITTLE TABLE RIGHT
THERE, WE APPRECIATE BEING IN
THIS HISTORIC ROOM. SO WE WILL
TURN IT OVER TO ANDY HALL, WHO
IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING FIRST
WITH HIS POWERPOINT. THANK YOU.
CHAIR BLAKESBERG. MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE REALLY APPRECIATE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW IDEAS
AND THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED
FROM THE MOST RECENT SLIDES AND
WE'LL MOVE THROUGH IT RELATIVELY
QUICKLY. BUT I THINK THE
PICTURES TELL MOST OF THE STORY,
AND I AM I AM ACCOMPANIED HERE,
OF COURSE, AS MENTIONED BY THE
MAYOR OF SAN CLEMENTE, VICTOR
CABRERA, THERE'S YOUR BEAUTIFUL
TRAIN COMING THROUGH OUR
COMMUNITY, BUT WE THINK THAT
THERE MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT
APPROACH TO TRYING TO PROTECT
THE RAIL LINE THROUGH SAN
CLEMENTE. AS YOU KNOW, IN SAN
CLEMENTE, THE RAIL LINE
CONTINUES TO BE SQUEEZED BY THE
OCEAN ON THE WEST AND SOME OF
THE BLUFFS ON THE EAST. SO WHEN
THE RAIL WAS FIRST PUT IN, OF
COURSE, THERE WAS A REVETMENT
THAT WAS PLACED AND THERE WAS A
FRONTING BEACH WIDTH AND AS THE
BEACH HAS NATURALLY, DEGRADED
AND HAS NOW THE, THE WAVES HIT
THE REVETMENT STRAIGHT ON THERE
TENDS TO BE A SCOURING AND WE
START TO SEE, OH, SORRY. YEAH.
THE CHAIR WAS IN THE WAY. SORRY
ABOUT THAT, AND WE BELIEVE THAT
THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THE RAIL
IS PROBABLY THROUGH THE BEACH
NOURISHMENT PROCESS. SO I WANT
TO SHOW YOU A COUPLE OF
PICTURES. THIS IS THAT THIS IS A
POINT OF CONCERN FOR AND WHAT WE
CALL COTTON'S POINT. AND AS
RECENT AS 2008, YOU CAN SEE
SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF SAND
THAT WAS PROTECTING THE
REVETMENT IS AND JUST RECENTLY,
IN JUST A FEW YEARS NOW IN 2021,
YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THAT BEACH IS
MISSING. YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE
WATER HITTING THE TRAIN AS IT
GOES THROUGH THAT AREA. SO THIS
IS SOLANA BEACH BEFORE AND AFTER
BEACH NOURISHMENT. JUST RECENTLY
IN NOVEMBER OF 2023 AND IN MARCH
OF 2024. AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT
HERE IS YOU CAN SEE THE
REVETMENT THAT THEY'VE PUT IN
PLACE TO PROTECT THE STAIRS THAT
COME DOWN FROM THE BLUFF, AND
THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE
STAIRS CAN STAY IN PLACE. BUT
AFTER THE NOURISHMENT, YOU CAN
SEE HOW PROTECTED THEY ARE.
THAT'S THE SAME AREA. AND YOU
CAN SEE THAT THE WATER IS
GETTING NOWHERE NEAR THAT. AND
SO THAT VERY MUCH THAT THAT
FACILITY OF THOSE STAIRS ARE
BEING PROTECTED BY THAT SAND
NOURISHMENT THAT'S HAPPENING ON
THE BEACH, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT
HAPPENS TO THE REVETMENT. IT'S
VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU PUT
SOMETHING HEAVY ON SAND. IT'S
LIKE WHEN YOU STAND ON THE BEACH
AND THE WATER GOES UNDERNEATH
YOUR HEELS AND YOU KIND OF SINK
INTO THE SAND. WELL, THE SAME
THING HAPPENS TO THE ROCKS. SO
THE ROCKS THAT ARE ON THE SAND
AS THE AS THEY GET A LITTLE BIT
INUNDATED, THEY START TO SLIP
DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND YOU START
TO SEE SOME OF THIS HAPPENING.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS AS SOME OF
THESE LARGER ROCKS START TO PULL
DOWN, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE
LARGE ONES AT THE TOP START TO
BE SUPPORTED BY MUCH SMALLER
ROCKS, AND THEY START TO MOVE
AND THE REVETMENT CONTINUES TO
MOVE DOWN THE COASTLINE. THIS IS
ANOTHER ONE. THE PICTURE THERE
ON THE ON THE LEFT YOU CAN SEE
SOME OF THE WAVE ACTION PULLING
THOSE ROCKS DOWN, AND YOU END UP
WITH A RATHER LARGE CAVITY. THIS
IS A VERY LARGE CAVITY. NOW
THAT'S LEFT AS THOSE ROCKS WASH
DOWN. SO THIS IS A KIND OF A
ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING
ON SOME OF OUR BEACHES. AND YOU
CAN SEE THE NATURAL, REVETMENT.
YOU CAN SEE THE LINES THERE IN
RED. AND THEN AS, AS ROCKS GET
ADDED TO THE REVETMENT, YOU CAN
SEE THAT IT GOES OUT INTO THE
WATER AND IT ALMOST PULLS THAT,
THAT WATER UP TO THE REVETMENT.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT THE
SAND WOULD LIKE TO MIGRATE TO
THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH. BUT
AS BEING CUT OFF BY THE
REVETMENT, WHICH WOULD ACTUALLY
BE PROTECTING THE SAND, WOULD BE
PROTECTING THE REVETMENT. BUT
THERE'S TWO SIDES OF THE TRACKS,
RIGHT. THERE'S THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE TRACK THAT WE NEED TO WORRY
ABOUT IN SAN CLEMENTE AS WELL.
AND IF YOU LOOK THIS, THIS IS
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR BLUFFS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
MISUNDERSTAND THAT. IT'S NOT
JUST THE STORMS, BUT IT HAPPENS
YEAR ROUND. YOU CAN KIND OF SEE
IF YOU LOOK UP THERE, YOU CAN
KIND OF SEE THESE. THE SAN
CLEMENTE BLUFFS ARE LAYERS OF
SAND WITH A CLAY BOTTOM, AND
THERE'S SEVERAL LAYERS OF THEM.
AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE RIGHT
THERE, MAYBE I'LL GO BACK REAL
QUICK. YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE
WATER SEEPING OUT RIGHT THERE.
YOU SEE A STRAIGHT LINE THERE.
YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER ONE THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THESE LAYERS OF
CLAY. WHAT HAPPENS IS EVEN
DURING THE DRY SEASON, YOU CAN
SEE THE WATER AS IT COMES OUT OF
THOSE CLAY LAYERS ALMOST IN A
STRAIGHT LINE. AND WHEN THAT
SAND GETS SATURATED, OF COURSE
IT'S GOING TO GET HEAVY. AND
DOWN THE SLOPE IT COMES. SO SOME
OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO MAYBE
LOOK AT IS YOU CAN SEE HERE SOME
SOME SHOTCRETE WAS PUT UP THERE
TO TRY TO KEEP THOSE BLUFFS
STABILIZED. SO WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE TO LOOK AT STABILIZING THE
BLUFFS BECAUSE AGAIN THE RAIL IS
GETTING KIND OF ATTACKED BY BOTH
SIDES. SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE
AND THIS IS MY I THINK THIS IS
MY LAST SLIDE. YOU CAN SEE HERE
AT MARIPOSA POINT, YOU CAN SEE
THAT MOTHER NATURE JUST REALLY
WANTED TO PULL THAT SAND DOWN TO
THE BEACH. BUT WE HAVE A TRAIL
AND WE HAVE A RAILROADS IN THE
WAY. AND SO IT MAKES IT
DIFFICULT TO DO THAT. SO THE
BEACHES RIGHT NOW ARE BEING
STARVED, WHICH THEN, OF COURSE,
THE WAVES COME RIGHT UP TO THE
REVETMENT. THEY CREATE SOME
INSTABILITY IN THE REVETMENT
ITSELF STARTS TO FAIL. SO
THERE'S A FEW TAKEAWAYS THERE.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS I WON'T
READ THOSE TO YOU. THE BOTTOM
LINE IS I THINK WHAT'S GOING TO
BE REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE
MAKE THE ABILITY TO PUT SAND ON
THE BEACH AS EASY AS PUTTING
REVETMENT ON THE BEACH, AND TO
DO THAT, I THINK ALL OF THE
AGENCIES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
WORK TOGETHER. IT'S JUST MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT TO PERMIT PUTTING
SAND ON THE BEACH THAN IT IS
PUTTING ROCKS ON THE REVETMENT.
SO IF WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER
TO TRY TO MAKE THAT PROCESS AS
AS AS EASY TO PUT SAND ON THE
BEACH AS ROCKS, I THINK WE CAN
PROTECT THE RAIL WITH THE SAND.
THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU, MR.
HALL. WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
YOU FOR BEING SO EFFICIENT WITH
YOUR, SHOWING OF THE SLIDES TOO.
SO NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM JASON
JEWELL. SO GO AHEAD, JASON. ALL
RIGHT. THERE'S SOME STUFF AROUND
HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS JASON
JEWELL, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF
THE LOW SAND RURAL CORRIDOR
AGENCY. AND THANK YOU FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE BEFORE
YOU TODAY, WE ARE THE MANAGING
AGENCY FOR THE AMTRAK PACIFIC
SURFLINER INTERCITY RAIL
SERVICE. AND TODAY I WANTED TO
FOCUS ON SOME OF THE POSITIVE
COORDINATION EFFORTS DURING THE
MOST RECENT TRACK CLOSURE AT
MARIPOSA POINT IN SAN CLEMENTE,
BUT BEFORE I DO, I WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE RIDERSHIP,
REVENUE, AND RECOVERY TRENDS
THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING
SPECIFIC TO THE AMTRAK INTERCITY
RAIL SERVICE BEFORE AND AFTER
THE CLOSURE. SO ON A POSITIVE
NOTE, WE EXPERIENCED A REALLY
STRONG RIDERSHIP OVER THE SUMMER
MONTHS SINCE LATE JULY. AFTER
REOPENING THE TRACKS FROM THE
CLOSURE BELOW, CASSEROLE MANTECA
IN SAN CLEMENTE, WE SAW AMTRAK
PACIFIC SURFLINER RIDERSHIP
RECOVER ON AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT
64% OF PRE-COVID SERVICE LEVELS,
UP TO ABOUT THE NOVEMBER TIME
FRAME, AND IN JULY IN PARTICULAR
, WE HAD REALLY SUCCESSFUL
RIDERSHIP EVENTS WITH SUCH
EVENTS, SUCH AS OUR DEL MAR
HORSE RACING THAT HAPPENS ON AN
ANNUAL BASIS, AS WELL AS A COMIC
CON AND THE X GAMES EVENT IN
VENTURA IN NOVEMBER. IN
PARTICULAR, THOUGH, WE TYPICALLY
EXPERIENCE HIGHER THAN NORMAL
RIDERSHIP IN NOVEMBER. BUT THIS
NOVEMBER, RIDERSHIP ROSE TO
ABOUT 76% OF PRE-COVID RIDERSHIP
ON A RIDER PER MILE BASIS. Ã
RIDERSHIP PER MILE WAS ACTUALLY
AT 102, AS COMPARED TO A
RIDERSHIP PER MILE STATISTIC
DURING NOVEMBER OF 2019, SO WE
ACTUALLY EXCEEDED OUR PRE-COVID
RIDERSHIP LEVELS ON A RIDER PER
MILE BASIS. NOW, I WANTED TO
DIVE INTO SOME DETAIL AROUND THE
RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE IMPACTS
AROUND THE TRACK CLOSURE AT
MARIPOSA POINT IN SAN CLEMENTE,
WHICH BEGAN ON JANUARY 24TH.
WHEN THE CLOSURE HAPPENED, WE
WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY COORDINATE
WITH AMTRAK TO IMPLEMENT
CONTINGENCY SCHEDULES. GIVEN OUR
EXPERIENCE WITH CLOSURES
PREVIOUSLY, WE WERE ABLE TO
QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY PIVOT
TO, TO ENACT OUR OUR EMERGENCY
OPERATING SCHEDULES. WE ENACTED
THE SAME REDUCED SERVICE
SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD IN,
PREVIOUSLY, PUT INTO PLACE IN
OUR PREVIOUS CLOSURES, WHICH DID
PROVIDE THREE BUS BRIDGES
BETWEEN IRVINE AND OCEANSIDE IN
EACH DIRECTION. AS FAR AS
RIDERSHIP IMPACTS, THOUGH
HISTORICALLY WE DO SEE A
DECREASE IN RIDERSHIP DURING
DURING OUR WINTER MONTHS,
TYPICALLY ABOUT BETWEEN THE 15
TO 20% RANGE. BUT IN FEBRUARY,
WITH THE TRACKS CLOSED AND THE
BUS BRIDGES IN PLACE, WE DID SEE
ABOUT A 30% DROP IN RIDERSHIP
AND ABOUT A 38% DROP IN REVENUE
FROM JANUARY TO FEBRUARY, THE
FAREBOX RATIO DROPPED TO ABOUT
33. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, OUR
GOAL OUR MANDATED GOAL IS A 55%
FAREBOX RECOVERY RATIO, THE
FEBRUARY 2024 RIDERSHIP AND
REVENUE WAS BOTH ABOUT 49% OF
PRE-COVID LEVEL RIDERSHIP. SO
THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
AN IDEA ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE
CLOSURE. WITH THE EMERGENCY BUS
BRIDGES IN PLACE. HOWEVER, I'M
HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ON MARCH
6TH, THROUGH A VERY COORDINATED
EFFORT BETWEEN AMTRAK, LOS AND
METROLINK OCTA AND ESTÁ, WE WERE
ABLE TO INTRODUCE LIMITED AMTRAK
PACIFIC SURFLINER SERVICE DURING
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CATCHMENT
WALL AT MARIPOSA POINT THAT YOU
SAW A PICTURE OF IN ONE OF THOSE
SLIDES, WITH SAFETY ASSESSMENTS
AND PROTOCOLS IN PLACE. AND THIS
ALLOWED A MORNING NORTHBOUND AND
SOUTHBOUND TRAIN TO GO THROUGH
SAN CLEMENTE BETWEEN THE SEVEN
AND 8 A.M. HOUR, AS WELL AS
AGAIN BETWEEN THE 6 TO 7 P.M.
HOUR. AND IN THE FIRST WEEK OF
INTRODUCING THIS LIMITED SERVICE
RESTORATION, WE SAW ABOUT A 27%
INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP OVER THE
PREVIOUS WEEK, AND FOR THE
ENTIRE MONTH WE SAW AN INCREASE
OF RIDERSHIP OF 63% AND REVENUE
INCREASE OF 66% OVER FEBRUARY.
OUR FAREBOX RECOVERY RATIO
CLIMBED TO OVER 51, AND ON A
PASSENGER PER MILE BASIS, WE
EXCEEDED PRE-COVID PRE-COVID
SERVICE LEVELS AGAIN, THE
RIDERSHIP PER MILE WAS ABOUT
101% COMPARED TO MARCH OF 2019.
SO THESE POSITIVE RESULTS ARE
REFLECTIVE OF THE COORDINATED
EFFORTS BETWEEN ALL OF OUR
STAKEHOLDERS AFTER COMPLETION OF
THE CATCHMENT WALL, BOTH
METROLINK AND AMTRAK WERE ABLE
TO RESUME FULL SERVICE ON MARCH
25TH FOR AMTRAK PACIFIC
SURFLINER SERVICE WAS RESTORED
TO TEN ROUND TRIPS BETWEEN LA
AND SAN DIEGO, WITH FIVE OF
THOSE ROUND TRIPS EXTENDING TO
GOLETA AND TWO OF THOSE ROUND
TRIPS EXTENDING ALL THE WAY UP
TO SAN LUIS OBISPO, WHICH DOES
MIRROR THE SERVICE THAT WE WERE
OPERATING PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE.
AND SINCE THE RESTORATION OF THE
SERVICE, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED AN
AVERAGE DAILY RIDERSHIP INCREASE
OF ABOUT 69% OVER THE AVERAGE
DAILY RIDERSHIP, OPERATING
EARLIER IN MARCH WITH OUR
LIMITED SERVICE THAT WAS IN
PLACE. AND WE DO FORECAST, APRIL
RIDERSHIP TO COME IN AT ABOUT
75% INCREASE OVER FEBRUARY AND
ABOUT AN 8 TO 10% INCREASE OVER
MARCH, SO VERY POSITIVE RESULTS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO
CONTINUING THESE TRENDS,
ESPECIALLY, WITH THE UPCOMING
SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE HAVE
COMING UP, SUCH AS THE X GAMES
AND VENTURA. AGAIN, THE
STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, AS WELL AS
THE DEL MAR HORSE, HORSE RACING
AND COMICONN EVENTS, WE ALSO
LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED
COORDINATION ACROSS ALL OF OUR
CORRIDOR PARTNERS AND
STAKEHOLDERS IN ALL OF OUR
EFFORTS TO SUSTAIN THIS
IMPORTANT CORRIDOR FOR YEARS TO
COME, THAT CONCLUDES MY BRIEF
REMARKS, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO
TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ALSO
HAVE AN OLYMPICS COMING. YES
OKAY. GREAT. WELL THANK YOU. AND
NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO MR.
KETTLE FROM METROLINK. WELL,
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND GOOD
AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON TO
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. I'M
EXCUSE AGAIN. I'M DARREN KETTLE,
I'M THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY, OFTEN
RECOGNIZES METROLINK. THANK YOU
FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TODAY
TO SPEAK WITH YOU. JUST A LITTLE
BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT
METROLINK, WE HAVE ABOUT TWO,
20,000 WEEKDAY BOARDINGS ON 142
DAILY TRAINS OPERATING ON SEVEN
LINES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
THREE OF THOSE LINES RUN THROUGH
LOS ANGELES UNION STATION, WITH
45 WEEKDAY TRAINS OPERATING ON
THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR AT SOME
POINT IN THEIR JOURNEY, AND ON
WEEKENDS, FOUR OF THOSE LINES
COMBINE FOR A TOTAL OF 20
TRAINS. IF YOU INCLUDE THE
VENTURA COUNTY LINE, WE HAVE
ANOTHER 20 WEEKDAY TRAINS. THIS
IS JUST TO SAY WE HAVE A LARGE
VOLUME OF TRAINS THAT OPERATE ON
THE ENTIRE LOW SAND CORRIDOR,
AND WE LOOK AT IT FROM A VENTURA
COUNTY SEGMENT. ALL THE WAY DOWN
THROUGH SAN CLEMENTE. OF COURSE,
THE TOPIC OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION,
THIS COMMITTEE KNOWS. THERE WE
GO. SECOND SLIDE MULTITASKING,
THIS COMMITTEE FULLY KNOWS THE
NATURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH
THE SAN CLEMENTE AREA. 8 MILLION
PEOPLE MOVED THROUGH THE
CORRIDOR ANNUALLY PRE-PANDEMIC.
TODAY, $1 BILLION WORTH OF GOODS
ARE TRANSPORTED ALONG THE ROUTE
ANNUALLY. THE US DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE HAS DESIGNATED THE
CORRIDOR AS PART OF THE MILITARY
STRATEGIC RAIL CORRIDOR. ALL OF
THIS BRINGS ME TO THE KEY POINT
THAT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
FOR IMPROVING THE RESILIENCY OF
THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR ARE LARGER
THAN METROLINK. THE THREE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES THAT OWN
THE RIGHT OF WAY IN WHICH THE
METROLINK OPERATES ON. THAT
INCLUDES, OF COURSE, MY GOOD
PARTNER HERE, DARYL JOHNSON, AND
HIS BOARD TO MY TO MY RIGHT, LA
METRO AND THE VENTURA COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OR ANY
OTHER SINGLE ENTITY. GIVEN THE
HEAVY RELIANCE BY PEOPLE, GOODS
AND THE MILITARY ON THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR AND THE SCOPE AND SCALE
OF THE RESILIENCY CHALLENGES,
THERE'S A CLEAR, CLEAR ROLE THAT
BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE
PARTNERSHIP AND ROBUST
INVESTMENT IN THE CORRIDOR IS
NECESSARY. CATCHMENT WALLS ARE
ONE SOLUTION. CATCHMENT WALLS
ARE ONE SOLUTION TO MITIGATE
LANDSLIDE THREATS, BUT THESE
WALLS ARE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD AND
IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE THEY ARE
STRATEGIC, ALBEIT LIMITED, STEPS
METROLINK CAN TAKE TO MONITOR
HILLSIDES MOVEMENT AND HIGH RISK
. IN THE INSTANCE OF CYPRESS
SHORES AND CASTRO, MONICA
INCLINOMETER TECHNOLOGY WERE
USED AND WERE INSTALLED WHICH
PROVIDED INFORMATION ON SLOPE
MOVEMENT. THIS TYPE OF SENSOR IS
INSTALLED BY DRILLING 80 TO
100FT INTO THE HILLSIDE AND
ALLOWING US TO UNDERSTAND A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THAT HILLSIDE. IN
THE INSTANCE OF THE MARIPOSA
POINT SLIDE EARLIER THIS YEAR,
OUR MOST RECENT SAN CLEMENTE
CHALLENGE, THERE WAS NO SUCH
TECHNOLOGY INSTALLED ON THE
HILLSIDE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.
PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
BARRIER WALL THAT WE DID BUILD
IN COOPERATION WITH OUR
PARTNERS, METROLINK HAD PLACED
TILT SENSORS ON THE SURFACE OF
THE SLOPE, WHICH SUPPORTED
CONSTANT MONITORING THROUGH
SEVERAL INCLEMENT WEATHER
CONDITIONS. TILT SENSORS ARE
HELPFUL SINCE THEY PROVIDE US
WITH SOME ADVANCED NOTICE OF THE
HILLSIDE MOVING, BUT THIS
APPROACH CANNOT BE DUPLICATED,
AND MONITORS COULD BE INSTALLED
AT OTHER HOTSPOT LOCATIONS UNTIL
CATCHMENT WALLS CAN BE BUILT.
WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED. IT IS
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE
TILT SENSORS ARE IMPORTANT TO
PROVIDE NOTICE OF MOVEMENT, THEY
DO NOT PROVIDE REMEDIATION
ACTION OR PROTECTION TO THE
RIGHT OF WAY. CATCHMENT WALLS
ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE THE
CRITICAL SUPPORT TO KEEP TRACK
SAFE. DEBRIS FALLING ONTO THE
TRACKS FROM LANDSLIDES IS ONLY
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE
ALONG THE SECTION OF THE LOW
SAND CORRIDOR. THE OTHER
SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IS THE EROSION
OF TRACK INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE
ENGINEER AND AN ENGINEERED
REVETMENT OR FACADE COUPLED WITH
SAND REPLENISHMENT PROGRAM IS
DESPERATELY NEEDED TO PROTECT
THE RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY FROM
CONTINUED EROSION. THIS TYPE OF
SOLUTION REQUIRES COORDINATION
AND COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE
STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES, AS
WELL AS FUNDING AND EXPEDITED
PERMITTING AS NEITHER METROLINK
NOR HAVE THE JURISDICTION OVER
ORANGE COUNTY BEACHES FROM THE
RECENT CLOSURE, AND THOSE OVER
THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE
HAVE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF
COLLABORATION ACROSS THE VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS AND ACROSS ALL
LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. METROLINK
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING
TRACK STRUCTURE, CONNECTING,
TRACKING. EXCUSE ME, CONDUCTING
TRACK INSPECTIONS AND PROVIDING
INFORMATION TO OUR FREIGHT AND
AGENCY PARTNERS ON THE SAFETY OF
TRAIN MOVEMENTS ON DAYS WHERE
THE TRACK WAS CLEARED OF DEBRIS
AND DEEMED SAFE. BNSF, WHICH HAS
AN EASEMENT TO OPERATE ALONG THE
CORRIDOR, WAS GIVEN THE OPTION
TO RESUME SERVICE IN DOING SO,
BNSF ASSUMED THE RISK OF
OPERATING THROUGH AN AREA OF
ACTIVE HILLSIDE MOVEMENT.
SIMILARLY, AMTRAK WAS OFFERED OR
SURFLINER WAS OFFERED, THE
OPTION TO RESUME SOME SERVICE
WITH METRO, WHICH, WHEN
METROLINK DEEMED THE IMPACTED
TRACKBED AND RAIL STABLE
PARTNERS ALONG THE CORRIDOR
DEEMED RESTORATION OF PASSENGER
SERVICE CRITICAL. LOW SAND BEGAN
OPERATING TWO PACIFIC SURFLINER
TRAINS IN THE MORNING, AND
ANOTHER TWO IN THE EVENING ON
MARCH 6TH, LEAVING THE REST OF
THE DAY FOR US TO COMPLETE
CONSTRUCTION. THIS WAS 42 DAYS
AFTER THE TRACK INITIALLY CLOSED
IN 18 DAYS, AHEAD OF FULL
SERVICE RESUMPTION. SIMILARLY TO
BNSF, AMTRAK ALSO ASSUMED THE
RISK OF OPERATIONS. THIS IS JUST
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE
LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED, BOTH
OPERATIONALLY AND FROM THE
INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY
STANDPOINT. METROLINK IS
APPRECIATIVE OF THE URGENCY AND
FOCUS ON THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR
RESILIENCY CHALLENGES FROM THE
SUBCOMMITTEE AND MANY OF OUR
PARTNERS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK
YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, AND
NOW WE WILL GO TO CEO DARYL
JOHNSON
.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR BLAKE AND
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. VERY
HAPPY TO BE HERE. I WILL ALSO
SAY I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE IN THE
HISTORIC CAPITOL ROOM. IT'S MUCH
MORE EXCITING THAN THE SWING
SPACE, SO HAPPY THAT WE'RE HERE
TODAY, MY NAME IS DARYL JOHNSON.
I'M THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF THE ORANGE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, ALSO
KNOWN AS. I WANT TO START WITH
THE FACT THAT THERE'S BEEN A
RAIL LINE IN THIS AREA FOR 134
YEARS OR SO, AND HAS OWNED IT
FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. AND
THAT'S NOT BY ANY MEANS TO SAY
THAT WE DON'T HAVE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, BUT TO
TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT
WHERE THIS IS AT AND THE
CHALLENGES THAT HAVE COME ALONG
WITH THAT IN THE SEVEN MILES
THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON
TODAY ARE HAVE CLEARLY BEEN
IDENTIFIED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
AS THE MOST CHALLENGING, THE
MOST VULNERABLE, AND THE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT FAILURE DUE TO
CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS THAT WERE EXPERIENCED
AND EXPERIENCED IN TODAY'S
WORLD, THAT WE HAVEN'T
EXPERIENCED IN THE FIRST 130
YEARS OF THE RAIL LINE BEING ON
THAT COAST. DOWN ARROW, DOWN
ARROW. SO JUST A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE MARIPOSA POINT. I KNOW
THIS IS THE MOST RECENT ONE I
WON'T TOUCH ON THE, THE, THE
ENGINEERING SIDE OF IT OR THE
OPERATION SIDE AS DARREN AND
JASON DID THAT. BUT THE THIS A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED
THERE. THIS IS, HAS LONG BEEN
FOCUSED ON PUBLIC ACCESS IN AND
AROUND THE BEACH AREA, THE
MARIPOSA POINT, THE SAN CLEMENTE
BEACH TRAIL HAS A LOT OF
DIFFERENT NAMES. THAT IS ON
OWNED RIGHT OF WAY THAT WAS PUT
UNDER A LONG TERM LICENSE
AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF SAN
CLEMENTE IN THE LATE 2000, AND
HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE JEWEL IN
THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE AND
COASTAL ACCESS ALONG THE RAIL
LINE SINCE THAT TIME. BUT THE
CHALLENGE THAT WE SEE HERE IS
THAT THE CITY OWNED RAIL BRIDGE
DID FALL AND FAIL DUE TO THE
BLUFF, AS WAS TALKED ABOUT BY
MR. HALL. A MOMENT AGO, WE DID
WORK WITH METROLINK FOR THE 200
FOOT CATCHMENT WALL AND AGAIN,
200FT, $9.2 MILLION. SO THESE
ARE THESE ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE,
THE CHALLENGES OF ACCESS, THE
CHALLENGES OF CONSTRUCTION ARE
VERY CRITICAL IN THIS AREA.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A
TIMELINE THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. I DID
WANT TO NOTE THAT WE COULD NOT
HAVE DONE THIS QUICKLY, AND WE
COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITH THE
WITHOUT THE SUPPORT, THE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND THE
SUPPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION IN ENSURING THAT
NEW POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT
IN PLACE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS
COULD ALLOW FOR THAT EXPEDITED
WORK. I'M GOING TO COME BACK IN
A MOMENT AND TALK ABOUT
EXPEDITED WORK AND WHAT THAT
MEANS, FOR THE CORRIDOR, A
LITTLE BIT OF, RESPONSE OR A
TIMELINE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
ASSEMBLE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE
HAVE LEARNED ABOUT DOING THINGS
QUICKLY WHEN A CRISIS OR
EMERGENCY ARISES. SO SINCE 2022,
WE'VE HAD THE INITIAL RESPONSE
OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED
AT CYPRESS SHORES IN THE VERY
SOUTH END OF THE COMMUNITY, A
COUPLE OF KEY POINTS. THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION WAS ABLE TO
DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION HELD A SPECIAL
MEETING, WHICH THEY HAD NEVER
DONE IN THEIR HISTORY. AND OUR
BOARD BOARD DECLARED A STATE OF
EMERGENCY THAT LED TO NEW POLICY
RESPONSES IN 2023. AND I THINK
THAT WAS REALLY CRITICAL IN
TERMS OF ALLOWING US TO REACT
EVEN QUICKER AND MORE
DEFINITIVELY GOING FORWARD. SO
THE CTC ESTABLISHED A NEW POLICY
THAT ALLOWED FOR FUNDING
ALLOCATIONS ON PUBLICLY OWNED
RAIL LINES ON AN EMERGENCY
BASIS. ABSOLUTELY. THE WORK THAT
WAS DONE IN 2022 INFLUENCED THAT
POLICY DISCUSSION. THAT WAS A
POSITIVE CHANGE. THE BAD NEWS
ABOUT THAT IS WE DIDN'T EXPECT
TO HAVE TO USE IT SO QUICKLY,
BUT WE FOUND OURSELVES USING
THAT NEW POLICY AS WE WENT INTO
LATE 2023 AND INTO 2024. I AM
GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE STUDY THAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS POLICY
THAT WAS INFORMED FROM 2022
CHANGED IN 2023, DID ALLOW FOR
QUICKER WORK IN 23 AND 24 AT THE
CASA ROMANTICA SLIDE AS WELL AS
THE MARIPOSA POINT SLIDE. SO A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE
DOING IN THE SHORT TERM. I'M
GOING TO START ON THE ON THE
RIGHT HAND SIDE BECAUSE I THINK
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS REALLY
BEGINS WITH WHAT CAN YOU DO IN
THE LONG TERM. AND OUR BOARD,
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADOPTED A
TWO PRONGED STRATEGY IN FEBRUARY
OF 2023 THAT SAID, WE SHOULD
LOOK AT LONG TERM COASTAL
SOLUTIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN LOOK
AT 30 YEARS AND BEYOND, ABOUT
WHAT THAT RAIL LINE NEEDS TO
LOOK LIKE. IS IT A CANDIDATE FOR
RELOCATION? IS IT A CANDIDATE
FOR PROTECTION IN PLACE? BUT
WHAT ARE THOSE OPTIONS AND HOW
CAN WE ENGAGE KEY STAKEHOLDERS
IN THAT WORK? BUT WE ALSO KNOW
THAT WHATEVER THE DECISION IS
ABOUT THAT LONG TERM RELOCATION,
WE HAVE TO DO THINGS NOW. AND
THAT'S REALLY ON THE LEFT HAND
SIDE IS HOW DO WE LOOK AT THE
SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM SOLUTIONS,
AS WELL AS DEALING WITH THE
INITIAL ISSUES THAT HAVE ARISEN
IN THE LAST 24 MONTHS,
PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO,
SIGNIFICANT EROSION AND SLIDING
AND SOME OF THE WATER AND SOIL
ISSUES THAT MR. HALL DISCUSSED.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON ON
THE LEFT HAND SIDE, IF YOU WILL.
SO A STUDY IS UNDERWAY. WE'RE
DEVELOPING A SERIES OF OPTIONS
TO PROTECT SEVEN MILES OF
COASTAL RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE
ALONG THE CORRIDOR. WE WANT TO
GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE
CAN DO AND WHAT WE CAN'T DO, AND
AT THE SAME TIME IDENTIFY
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. AND I WANT
TO EMPHASIZE THIS WORD OF
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. THERE'S A
LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS, BOTH
REGULATORY COMMUNITY AND OTHERS
THAT NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN
DETERMINING WHAT THE ACTUAL
SOLUTION IS, BUT IDENTIFYING
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS FOR
CONSIDERATION IS THE KEY START,
INCLUDING SAND REPLENISHMENT AND
SAND RETENTION. I'M GOING TO
COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THAT IN
JUST A MOMENT AS WELL. SO AS
PART OF THE INITIAL STUDY THAT I
TALKED ABOUT A MOMENT AGO, WE
TASKED OURSELVES, OUR STAFF AND
OUR CONSULTANT RESOURCES TO SAY,
WHAT CAN WE DO IN, WE FORMALLY
CALLED IT AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT.
I THINK IT'S BETTER TERMED AS A
HOTSPOT ANALYSIS. WHAT CAN WE DO
AT THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR 23
TO PREPARE FOR WHAT WILL LIKELY
BE A STORM SEASON IN 2024? WE'VE
IDENTIFIED IN THAT INITIAL
ASSESSMENT FOUR REINFORCEMENT
AREAS THAT WE THINK ARE MOST
VULNERABLE TO BOTH BEACH EROSION
AS WELL AS SLOPE FAILURE. THOSE
WERE IDENTIFIED IN LATE 2023.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IN A PERFECT
WORLD, WE THINK WOULD NEED TO BE
PLACED IN SIGNIFICANTLY OR
SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERWAY BY THE
FALL OF 2024 AHEAD OF THE NEXT
STORM SEASON. SO WE DON'T HAVE
INTERRUPTIONS TO THE CORRIDOR
AND RAIL OPERATIONS THAT WE'VE
EXPERIENCED IN RECENT YEARS. I
WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, AGAIN,
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS NÓ
RECOMMENDATIONS THEY EVALUATED
AT THE CONCEPTUAL LEVEL A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS,
PERFORMANCE, COST, METHODS AND
SCHEDULE. AND I KNOW THERE'S
BEEN SOME PRESS TALKING ABOUT
THAT. THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION
FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO
SPEND $200 MILLION ON ROCK
REVETMENT. I WANT TO PUBLICLY
STATE THAT AS NOT TRUE. WHAT WAS
PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN MARCH
WAS AN INFORMATION ITEM THAT
TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL
SOLUTIONS, PROS AND CONS, AND
SAID, WE ARE NOT FINISHED. WE'RE
CONTINUING TO DO MORE WORK ON
THIS, BUT IT WAS AN INTERIM
UPDATE ON THAT. SO WITH THAT,
THE INTERIM UPDATE IS WHAT I'D
LIKE TO TALK ABOUT NOW. SO I'M
GOING TO SHOW TWO ILLUSTRATIVE
SCHEDULE SLIDES. AND I KNOW THAT
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON
THIS SLIDE. BUT I WAS TRYING TO
MAKE IT IN A WAY THAT WE COULD
SORT OF REALLY FOCUS IN ON WHAT
THE CHALLENGES ARE ABOUT DOING
ANYTHING. SO IF WE ASSUME THAT
WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, WE'LL CALL
IT MAY 1ST. AND IF WE HAD A
TRADITIONAL PROJECT DELIVERY
METHOD WITHOUT ANY EXPEDITED OR
EMERGENCY PERMITTING, WE WOULD
DESIGN OUR SOLUTIONS, WHETHER
THEY BE ROCK, SAND, ROCK AND
SAND OR WALL OVER THE NEXT 2 OR
3 QUARTERS. THEN WE WOULD GO
THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS
WITH OUR RESOURCE AGENCIES OF 24
TO 28 MONTHS, AND THEN WE WOULD
BEGIN PROCUREMENT, AND THEN WE
WOULD DO GO THROUGH
CONSTRUCTION. THAT TAKES US FROM
MAY OF 2024 THROUGH 2027 AND
2028. NOW, JUST A MOMENT AGO, I
HAD SAID THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO
GET THINGS IN PLACE BY THE FALL
OF NEXT YEAR, SO THESE ARE NOT
LONG TERM SOLUTIONS HERE.
THEY'RE SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS,
BUT THE TIMELINE OF TRADITIONAL
PROJECT DELIVERY AND APPROVALS
WOULD TAKE US 36 TO 48 MONTHS IN
THE YELLOW BAR OR THE LIGHT
YELLOW BAR AT THE BOTTOM,
THERE'S SOME HIGH LEVEL
CONCEPTUAL COST ESTIMATES BY
TYPE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE,
APPROXIMATELY 67,000 TO 84,000
TONS OF ROCK AT A COST OF 183 TO
195 MILLION. THAT'S ROCK AND
WALL SAND NOURISHMENT,
APPROXIMATELY A HALF
1,000,000YD³, A COST OF 64 TO
150 MILLION WIDE. VARIANCE ON
THAT IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION
DELIVERY, HOW YOU GET IT THERE?
IS IT TRUCK, IS IT TRAIN OR IS
IT DREDGING AND THEN THE TOTAL
ESTIMATED COST OF SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 200 AND 40 5 TO $340
MILLION. SO THIS ASSUMES THAT WE
CAN MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT WE
WANT TO DO TODAY, AND THAT WE
CAN FIND 250 TO $340 MILLION AND
WILL SPEND FOUR YEARS DOING
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THERE'S
ALSO SOME SORT OF COMPLIANCE AND
PERMITTING AND ASSUMPTIONS AT
THE BOTTOM, VERY HIGH LEVEL, AND
CONCEPTUAL. WHAT I'VE PREPARED
FOR THE NEXT SLIDE IS, WELL,
WHAT IF WE COULD DO THIS A
LITTLE BIT QUICKER? WHAT IF WE
COULD DO IT A LITTLE BIT FASTER?
I'D LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT
FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR
ORGANIZATION AND MYSELF, WE HAVE
ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR THE ROLES,
RESPONSIBILITIES AND MISSIONS OF
ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, WHETHER IT
BE THE COASTAL COMMISSION, THE
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE COUNTY
OF ORANGE, OR THE CITY OF SAN
CLEMENTE, AND ALL THE OTHER
APPROVAL AND REGULATORY BODIES.
BUT WE DID LOOK AT WHAT IF WE
COULD DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT? HOW CAN WE SHRINK
THAT TIME? SO A COUPLE OF THINGS
HAPPEN WHEN YOU SHRINK TIME.
ONE, IS IT COSTS A LITTLE BIT OF
LESS BECAUSE THE TIME VALUE A
LITTLE BIT LESS TIME VALUE OF
MONEY IS BROUGHT BACK IN A
LITTLE BIT. THIS WOULD LOOK AT
THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SIMULTANEOUSLY DESIGN, PROCURE
AND CONSTRUCT ALONG WITH YOUR
YOUR PERMITTING. AND THIS WOULD,
LOOK AT THAT ON ALL SOLUTIONS.
AGAIN BOTH ROCK AND WALL
REVETMENT AS WELL AS SAND. AND
YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS, GRAPHIC
THAT INSTEAD OF SHIFTING OUT
INTO 2027 AND 2028, WE SEE
OPPORTUNITIES TO GET SOME THINGS
DONE BY THE END OF 2025. AND
PERHAPS THE MIDDLE OF 2026.
STILL NOT BY THE FALL OF 2024.
AND I WISH I HAD A GRAPHIC THAT
COULD SHOW YOU HOW WE COULD GET
TO THE FALL OF 2024, BUT WE
HAVEN'T FOUND A WAY TO GET THAT
DONE IN ANY IN ANY MEANINGFUL
MANNER. A COUPLE OF TAKEAWAYS ON
THIS. ONE IS WE ABSOLUTELY NEED
SOME TYPE OF EXPEDITED APPROVAL
PROCESS FROM OUR PARTNERS. THAT
DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD SKIP
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, DOESN'T MEAN
WE SHOULD SKIP ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS. BUT IF WE HAVE CRISIS
AND WE HAVE EMERGENCY, WE OWE IT
TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO PROTECT THE RAIL LINE QUICKER
THAN FOUR YEARS. WE NEED TO BE
ABLE TO DO THAT. THE OTHER
TAKEAWAY I THINK THAT'S
IMPORTANT IS THERE'S NO SILVER
BULLET. THERE'S NOT ONE THING
THAT CAN FIX ALL OF IT. IT'S NOT
JUST WALLS. IT'S NOT JUST SAND.
IT'S NOT JUST REVETMENT. THEY
ALL HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT
TOGETHER. THE OTHER SILVER
BULLET IS THAT THERE'S NOT ONE
ENTITY THAT CONTROLS ALL OF THIS
AS MR. KETTLE INDICATED,
METROLINK DOESN'T, CONTROL THE
BEACHES IN ORANGE COUNTY, NOR
DOES, NOR DOES THE CITY, NOR
DOES THE STATE. ALL STAKEHOLDERS
HAVE TO BE INVOLVED. SO WE NEED
A COALITION OF ALL PARTIES WITH
A COMMON GOAL IN MIND OF HOW DO
WE DO THE THINGS TOGETHER. NOW,
FROM A TRANSPORTATION
STANDPOINT, IT WOULD BE EASY FOR
ME TO SAY THAT OUR NUMBER ONE
PRIORITY IS THE TRANSPORTATION
CORRIDOR. AND THAT'S A TRUE
STATEMENT. BUT WE ALSO
ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZE THAT
CO-BENEFITS EXIST, WHETHER IT'S
LATERAL BEACH ACCESS FOR COASTAL
ACCESS, PROTECTION OF PROPERTIES
ALONG THE COAST, RECREATION,
TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL
AS UNDERSTANDING THE LONG TERM
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. AND I
BELIEVE THAT WORKING TOGETHER,
WE CAN ALL ACCOMPLISH OUR
MISSIONS, WHETHER IT'S THE
COASTAL COMMISSION'S MISSION,
MISSION, THE CITY OF SAN
CLEMENTE'S MISSION, AND THE
MYRIAD OF OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES,
THAT ARE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN
THIS. SO I'LL JUST WRAP UP BY
JUST TELLING YOU WHERE WE THINK
WE'RE GOING, WE STARTED THE
INITIAL ASSESSMENT, AS I
INDICATED IN LATE, CALENDAR YEAR
OF 2023, PROGRESS REPORT IN
FEBRUARY OF 24. AND THEN YOU'RE
THE FIRST TO SEE THE TWO
GRAPHICS THAT WE SHOWED HERE
TODAY. WE'VE BEEN UNDERWAY WITH
A NUMBER OF LISTENING SESSIONS.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON THIS
IDEA THAT WE WANT TO LISTEN TO
OUR STAKEHOLDERS, LISTEN TO
THEIR THOUGHTS, LISTEN TO WHAT
THEY SAY, OBTAIN THAT FEEDBACK
AND INFORMATION, OAN, AND THEN
DEVELOP WHAT WE WOULD CALL A
PURPOSE AND NEED. AND EVALUATION
CRITERIA THROUGH THE SPRING OF
THIS YEAR. THAT'S INFORMED BY
THAT THOSE LISTENING SESSION
COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK AND THEN
WORK TO DEVELOP, WHAT WE CALL
OUR INITIAL CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE GET THROUGH
THAT? NOT THIS HOT SPOT
ANALYSIS, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE
MARCH TOWARDS THE TEN YEAR MARK,
THE 20 YEAR MARK, AND ULTIMATELY
THE 30 YEAR MARK? AND THEN HOW
DO WE REFINE THOSE CONCEPTS,
DEVELOP A WAY IN WHICH WE CAN
LOOK AT HOW DO WE PAY FOR THESE
ITEMS? HOW DO WE DELIVER THESE
ITEMS AND PROJECTS? ALL OF THESE
IN TERMS OF WHETHER, AGAIN,
WHETHER IT'S WALL ROCK, SAND OR
A COMBINATION OF THE THREE
THERE? I'M SURE YOU'VE NOTICED
FROM MR. HALL'S GRAPHICS,
THERE'S NO ROADS THERE. IT'S A
RAIL LINE AND A BEACH IN SOME
PLACES. LESS BEACH THAN MORE.
AND SO ALL OF THESE HAVE IMPACTS
ON RAIL OPERATIONS AND PASSENGER
OPERATIONS AS YOU TRY TO DO THAT
CONSTRUCTION WORK AS AS WELL. SO
WITH THAT, SENATOR BLAKESBERG
MEMBERS, I'LL CONCLUDE MY
REMARKS. I KNOW I WENT A LITTLE
BIT LONGER THAN THE REST, BUT
HOPEFULLY, GIVES YOU A SENSE OF
THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT WAS ALL
VERY INTERESTING. LET ME SEE IF
MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS, BEFORE I ASK A
QUESTION. AND THEN WE'LL GO TO
THE NEXT PANEL. DOES ANY
QUESTIONS, SENATOR NGUYEN? YES.
THANK THANK YOU. CAN HEAR ME.
RIGHT. OKAY THANK THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR, FIRST I WANT TO
THANK, OUR MAYOR FROM CITY OF
SAN CLEMENTE, WHO'S ALSO HERE
TODAY AS WELL. I KNOW IT WAS
MENTIONED EARLIER, BUT I, MR.
HALL, MY I GUESS MY QUESTION IS.
BECAUSE YOU SAID SO, SAN. YOU
SAID THAT. WHAT? COLLABORATION.
AND IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER,
WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART
OR WHICH IS THE MOST DIFFICULT
FOR US TO DEAL WITH WHEN IT
COMES TO TRYING TO DO SAND
REPLENISHMENT IN SAN CLEMENTE? I
THINK SPECIFICALLY IN SAN
CLEMENTE, WE DO NOT HAVE A
CERTIFIED LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM,
SO WE DO RELY ON THE COASTAL
COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE
THIS. SO WE DO NEED TO HAVE
COLLABORATION WITH THE COASTAL
COMMISSION IN ORDER TO GET SAND
ON THE BEACH. WE ALSO HAVE A
STATE BEACH THAT'S PART OF THAT.
SO THERE'S THE STATE BEACH.
THERE ARE CITY BEACHES, AND
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ACTUALLY
PRIVATE BEACHES. WE HAVE TALKED
TO THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. THEY
ARE VERY WILLING TO WILLING
PARTNERS, WILLING TO WORK WITH
US. SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
COLLABORATE WITH THE COASTAL
COMMISSION AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND THE STATE BEACH. AND THEN
THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE IS
CERTAINLY A WILLING PARTNER, AS
ARE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU GO
TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION?
WHAT'S THE PROCESS AND WHY IS IT
TAKING LONGER? SO I THINK THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS MAKING SURE
THAT YOU WELL, IT'S BEEN OUR
BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN SAN
CLEMENTE, IS MAKING SURE THAT
YOU CAN FIND SAND TO BRING TO
THE BEACH, AS PEOPLE THAT HAVE
FOLLOWED IT KNOW, WE FOUND ONE
BORROW SITE THAT HAD A LOT OF
COBBLE. WE HAD TO REGROUP, FIND
A DIFFERENT BORROW SITE. WE
BELIEVE THAT WE FOUND ONE NOW
THAT IS PRODUCING THE SAND THAT
WOULD BE NECESSARY TO DO THIS.
SO I THINK GETTING THE PERMITS
IN PLACE AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE THAT CAN
DREDGE THAT KIND OF SAND. SO IF
WE AREN'T GOING TO BRING IT
THROUGH A DREDGE, THEN YOU'VE
GOT TO LOOK AT TRANSPORTING THE
SAND. THE COSTS GO UP VERY
QUICKLY WHEN YOU START
TRANSPORTING THE SAND, EITHER BY
TRUCK OR RAIL, IT GOES UP A LOT.
SO WE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, IT
MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO SEE IF
WE CAN GET THAT SAND BROUGHT BY
BARGE. I UNDERSTAND FINE SAND,
THE COST, ETC. BECAUSE WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE THE COASTAL
COMMISSION FOLKS HERE. I MEAN,
WHAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING TO SAY
TO THEM? THIS IS THE MOMENT,
RIGHT? THIS IS THE TIME TO GO,
HEY, WE NEED HELP. AND HERE'S
WHY. BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT IS
THAT? WHAT IS THAT BOTTLENECK?
WHEN IF YOU HAD THE SAND, IF YOU
HAD, YOU KNOW, THE MEANS TO GET
THERE. YOU HAD THE FUNDING. WHAT
IS IT WITH THE COAST OR HOW LONG
THE PROCESS CAN WE ASK THEM,
HEY, WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW CAN WE
DO WHAT WOULD THAT QUESTION BE?
IT'S HOW QUICKLY CAN WE MOVE
THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT
PROCESSES? THERE'S A LOT OF
STAKEHOLDERS YOU WILL HAVE
EVERYONE FROM, PRIVATE ENTITIES
LIKE PERHAPS SURFRIDER AND
OTHERS THAT THAT WANT TO GO
THROUGH THIS PUBLIC PROCESS.
YOU'LL HAVE SURFERS THAT WANT TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT ADDING SAND TO
THE BEACH IS GOING TO DO TO THE
SURF, AND THE DIFFERENT WAVE
SURGE THAT COMES IN. SO WHAT
WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS MOVE AS
QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO HAVE A LOT
OF PRE-APPROVAL IN PLACE. SO
RATHER THAN WAITING FOR THE
CRISIS, LET'S DECIDE. YOU KNOW
WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET SAND
ON THE BEACH IN SAN CLEMENTE.
GET ALL THOSE APPROVALS IN PLACE
NOW SO THAT EVERY TIME THE RAIL
BECOMES INUNDATED OR WE START TO
SEE SOME IMPACTS ON THE RAIL,
WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE APPROVALS
IN PLACE. LET'S GO GET THE SAND.
LET'S PUT IT ON THE BEACH. IS
THERE NOT A PROCESS RIGHT NOW TO
GET THE PRE-APPROVAL, I DON'T
THINK THAT THERE. NO, I THINK
THAT THAT WOULD BE A NEW PROCESS
TO HAVE A PRE-APPROVAL IN PLACE,
THERE IS WHAT'S CALLED A
OPPORTUNISTIC SAND A SCOOP
PROGRAM, WHICH DOES ALLOW THAT
SOMEWHAT. BUT AT THE SCALE WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT, I THINK WE WOULD
BE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A
PRE-APPROVAL PROCESS IN PLACE
THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF. NOW.
COASTAL COMMISSION WILL BE
TALKING TO YOU LATER, AND THEY
MAY HAVE A BETTER ANSWER THAN I
DO, BUT I DON'T. I HAVEN'T SEEN,
IN MY EXPERIENCE, A PRE-APPROVAL
TO PUT SAND ON THE BEACH BEFORE
YOU NEED IT. SO OUR WISH LIST TO
THE COASTAL IF YOU HEAR US
APPROVAL IS CAN THERE BE COULD
THERE BE A FUTURE PROCESS OF A
PRE-APPROVAL JUST FOR THE SAND
REPLENISHMENT? JUST IN CASE. IN
CASE WHEN A CRISIS LIKE THIS
HAPPENED, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT
MONTHS, MONTHS, MONTHS TO
GETTING THAT APPROVAL TO START
REPLENISHING THE SAND. CAN I
ASK, MR. JOHNSON? I GUESS, YOU
KNOW, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR
STATE AGENCIES PARTNERSHIP AND
GOING BACK TO THE COASTAL
COMMISSION, WHAT KIND OF
CONVERSATIONS HAVE YOU HAD WITH
THEM REGARDING THE RAIL AND WHAT
WHAT SHOULD WE ANTICIPATE OR
WHERE CAN WE GO FROM HERE
THROUGH THE CHAIR? SENATOR
NGUYEN, I THINK OUR
CONVERSATIONS WITH COASTAL
COMMISSION STAFF AT ALL LEVELS
HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE OVERALL.
AND AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO,
WE FULLY RESPECT THEIR THEIR
MISSION, THEIR ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES, AND WE'VE BEEN
VERY FOCUSED AND VERY PLEASED IN
RECENT CONVERSATIONS IN THE LAST
TWO, THREE, FOUR WEEKS ABOUT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPEDITING. WE
WERE ABLE TO SHARE THE GRAPHIC I
SHOWED A MOMENT AGO, WITH
COASTAL COMMISSION STAFF, AND
THEY PROVIDED SOME FEEDBACK ON
THAT AND SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THAT. THE ONE ITEM I THINK THAT
IS WORTH CONSIDERATION IS, IS A
POLICY ITEM. AND I THINK WE
SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE DIFFERENT THAN
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT. IF WE HAVE
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS
FOR THE GOOD OF THE PUBLIC.
MAYBE THAT'S A ROAD, MAYBE IT'S
A RAIL LINE, MAYBE IT'S A
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, MAYBE IT'S
SOMETHING ELSE THAT, IN MY
OPINION, SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT
WAY TO EXAMINE AND DIFFERENT
OPPORTUNITIES TO PROTECT PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE VERSUS PRIVATE
INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THAT'S ONE
AREA THAT I THINK WE SHOULD TALK
ABOUT AND THINK ABOUT, MUCH LIKE
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AS I
MENTIONED A FEW SLIDES AGO,
WORKING WITH THE CALIFORNIA
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ON AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HELP EMERGENCY
ISSUES ON PUBLICLY OWNED RAIL
LINES DIFFERENT THAN PRIVATELY
OWNED RAIL LINES. SO I THINK
LOOKING AT THAT PUBLIC
INFRASTRUCTURE VERSUS PRIVATE
INFRASTRUCTURE A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENTLY WOULD BE AN AREA
THAT WE COULD THAT WE WOULD LIKE
MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT. SO IF,
ONE LAST QUESTION, IF NOT SAND
REPLENISHMENT, WHAT ELSE, WHAT
OTHER OPTIONS DO WE HAVE ON THE
RAIL? I THINK IN THE LONG TERM,
THE CONVERSATION OF RELOCATION
HAS TO BE OPENED UP. AGAIN. I'M
RELUCTANT TO SAY THAT'S THE
ABSOLUTE ANSWER. WE HAVE A
NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT NEED
TO BE ENGAGED, AS WE'VE TALKED
IN THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE, BUT IN
THE SHORT TERM, MEANING ZERO,
TEN, 20 YEARS, I THINK IT'S
GOING TO TAKE CATCHMENT WALLS. I
THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE ROCK
REVETMENT AND I THINK IT'S GOING
TO BE SAND, NONE OF THEM
INDEPENDENTLY BY THEMSELVES,
WILL PROVIDE THE PROTECTION WE
NEED. THEY HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER
. AND I THINK WHEN WE GET INTO
THE CONVERSATION, ALL THREE OF
THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE LOOKED
AT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM,
THANK YOU. I KNOW WE HAVE
ANOTHER PANEL, SO I'LL BE BRIEF
WITH MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS,
BUT MY FIRST QUESTION, IS TO THE
CITY MANAGER, A CERTIFIED LOCAL
COASTAL PROGRAM IS WHAT THE
COASTAL COMMISSION WANTS EVERY
COASTAL CITY TO HAVE. SO YOUR
CITY DOESN'T HAVE ONE. SO AND
THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S CREATING
THE DELAY HERE AS YOU SAID. SO
WHAT IS THE EFFORT AT THE CITY
LEVEL TO GET A CERTIFIED LOCAL
COASTAL PROGRAM? YES, WE ARE
CONCENTRATING ON THAT. WE'RE
MOVING VERY QUICKLY ON IT. WE
HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM
THE COASTAL COMMISSION, AND I
THINK WE SHOULD BE CLOSING ON
THAT IN THE COMING MONTHS. I'M
PRETTY CONFIDENT IN THAT. OKAY.
SO DO YOU THINK. PARDON. I'D
LIKE THAT QUESTION MYSELF. OKAY.
DO YOU WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO IN
FRONT OF MY QUESTIONS OKAY. ALL
RIGHT. WELL I'LL JUST FINISH UP
THEN. OKAY. THANK YOU, AND THEN,
MY NEXT QUESTION IS TO MR.
JOHNSON ABOUT NEEDING THE
EXPEDITED PERMIT PROCESS AND
THAT ONE ENTITY DOES NOT CONTROL
EVERYTHING. SO I THINK ONE OF
THE COMPLEXITIES IS THAT
EXPEDITED PERMIT PROCESSES ARE
USUALLY APPLIED WHEN YOU KNOW
WHAT THE PROJECT IS. AND SO MY
HOPE IS THAT WHAT WE'RE ALL
FOCUSED ON IS HAVING A PARALLEL
TRACK OF THE SHORT TERM
PROTECTION AND THE LONG TERM
PLANNING, AND IT'S THAT WALK AND
CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME IDEA
THAT WE SHOULD REALLY BE DOING
THIS. AND I THINK THERE'S A
CONCERN ABOUT PUTTING JUST
INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF MONEY INTO
SHORT TERM PROJECTS THAT DON'T
ACTUALLY END UP WITH US HAVING A
RESILIENT RAIL CORRIDOR, BECAUSE
THERE'S SOME OTHER SECTION THAT
GOES DOWN. AND SO I'M I'M
CURIOUS ABOUT HOW QUICKLY YOU
THINK, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS
ASSESSMENT HERE AND HOW QUICKLY
DO YOU THINK THAT WE COULD GET
TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE BOTH
SHORT TERM PREDICTIONS OF WHERE
THERE MIGHT BE FUTURE SLIDES
AND, AND SHORT TERM PROJECTS
BEING SAND ROCK REVETMENT AND
CATCHMENT WALLS AND THEN LONG
TERM, THE CONSIDERATION OF
EITHER THE RELOCATION OR SOME
NOTION OF A PROTECTED PLACE THAT
WOULD ACTUALLY SERVE US FROM THE
50 TO 100 YEAR TIMELINE. SO HOW
QUICKLY DO YOU THINK WE CAN GET
TO THAT PART? BECAUSE TO ME,
THAT SEEMS LIKE WHERE WE NEED TO
BE GOING WITH A REALLY CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING OF THAT BEING THE
GOAL THROUGH THE CHAIR. BLAKE
SPEER I THINK I PUT THIS SLIDE
BACK UP BECAUSE THIS IS THE FOR
HIGHLY VULNERABLE AREAS THAT
WERE IDENTIFIED BETWEEN DECEMBER
AND FEBRUARY, WE KNOW THESE ARE
THE HOT SPOTS. THERE IS NO
DISAGREEMENT THAT THOSE ARE THE
HOT SPOTS. I DON'T BELIEVE I
WOULD HEAR THAT FROM THE CITY
MANAGER, FROM METROLINK OR
FRANKLY, ANYONE ELSE IN THIS
DISCUSSION. THE QUESTION IS, HOW
DO YOU TREAT THEM? I THINK
THERE'S GENERAL CONSENSUS ON THE
INLAND SIDE THAT SHORT TERM
CATCHMENT WALLS NEED TO BE DEALT
WITH. IN THE SHORT TERM, THE
OCEANSIDE IS GOING TO BE SOME
MIX OF ROCK REVETMENT AND SAND
NOURISHMENT IN THAT AREA. SO
THAT'S THE HERE AND NOW. AND
THEN THROUGH THE NEXT PART OF
THE STUDY, THE LONGER TERM
MEANING BEYOND WHAT I JUST
SHOWED, WHICH WE WOULD LOVE TO
GET DONE BY THE FALL OF 24, WE
THINK THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO
DO. BUT FROM YEAR ONE TO YEAR
TEN TO YEAR 20, WE PLAN TO HAVE
THOSE CONCEPTS BY THE FALL OF
THIS YEAR WITH REFINED CONCEPTS
IN THE SPRING OF 25, AND THEN BE
ABLE TO LOOK AT A FINAL REPORT
ON THAT IN THE FALL OF 25, THAT
WOULD THE GOAL THERE IS TO GET
US FROM THAT TIME PERIOD THROUGH
THE LONGER DISCUSSION ABOUT
POTENTIAL RELOCATION, BECAUSE AS
WE'VE DISCUSSED, I BELIEVE I
TESTIFIED BEFORE, IF WE MADE THE
DECISION TODAY TO RELOCATE AND
WE HAD ALL THE MONEY AND WE HAD
ALL THE, THE, THE GO AHEAD, WE
ARE 25 OR 30 YEARS AWAY FROM
HAVING AN OPEN RAIL LINE IN A
TUNNEL SOMEWHERE OFF THE COAST.
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT
HOW DO WE FIX THE LEAKY ROOF
BETWEEN NOW AND THE FALL OF 24,
AND THEN HOW DO WE REPLACE THE
ROOF OF THE HOUSE OVER THE NEXT
20 YEARS, WHILE WE'RE THINKING
ABOUT WHERE THE NEW HOUSE IS
GOING TO BE BUILT? SO THAT'S HOW
WE SEE THOSE THREE. THE LAST
PIECE IS WE HAVE PUT IN WRITING
TO SECRETARY O'MALLEY AND
REQUEST TO LEAD THE LONG TERM
RELOCATION STUDY. WE BELIEVE
THAT THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THAT
IS BEYOND ONE COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. THE
RAMIFICATIONS STRETCH FROM SAN
DIEGO TO LOS ANGELES. THEY HAVE
VERBALLY AGREED TO THAT. WE NEED
TO WORK THROUGH THE DETAILS OF
WHEN WE START THAT AND HOW WE DO
THAT. AND I THINK YOU'RE AWARE,
FINALLY, THAT CONGRESSMAN LEVIN,
THROUGH COMMUNITY FUNDING,
THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS
PROCESS, THERE IS A $4 MILLION
EARMARK. I'LL CALL IT SPECIFIC,
QUICKLY IDENTIFIED FOR A
RELOCATION STUDY. THAT IS A VERY
SMALL AMOUNT, THAT WE'RE VERY
HAPPY FOR. BUT WE NEED A LOT
MORE INVESTMENT AND A LOT MORE
ENGAGEMENT AT THE STATE AND
FEDERAL LEVEL FOR THAT LONGER
TERM. LOOK, OKAY. THANK YOU,
SENATOR ARCHULETA. YEAH. THANK
YOU. I THINK THE, EXCUSE THE
VOICE, I THINK THE BIG QUESTION
HERE IS HOW SAFE IS IT TODAY?
AND HOW LONG CAN YOU GO WITH
THAT SAFETY UMBRELLA WITHOUT
SOMETHING HAPPENING THAT PEOPLE
AREN'T LISTENING? YOUR NUMBER
ONE PRIORITY, OBVIOUSLY, IS TO
KEEP IT OPEN, KEEP IT MOVING,
BUT YOU NEED HELP. YOU TALKED
ABOUT ALL THE AGENCIES COMING
TOGETHER WITH EVERYBODY SITTING
AROUND, SITTING ON THEIR HANDS
WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WAVING THE
FLAG. PLEASE BE PROACTIVE. HOW
LONG CAN YOU STAND IT? HOW LONG
CAN YOU LAST? SENATOR ARCHULETA
IS THE IS THE OWNER OF THE
OPERATING RIGHT OF WAY. WE DON'T
MAKE THE OPERATING DECISIONS.
BUT I WILL SAY SAFETY IS OF
UTMOST IMPORTANT. I THINK MAYBE
PERHAPS, MR. KETTLE, YOU SHOULD
TALK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF
OPERATIONS, THANK YOU, MR.
JOHNSON. AND SENATOR ARCHULETA,
AS THE OPERATING RAILROAD, IT IS
OUR DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT'S
SAFE AND WHAT'S NOT SAFE. AND
WE'VE HAD TO MAKE TOUGH
DECISIONS TO CLOSE DOWN THE
CORRIDOR BECAUSE IT WAS NOT.
TODAY WE'RE OPERATING THAT
CORRIDOR WITH AT FULL SPEEDS,
AND WITH  PROTECTIONS WE HAVE
IN PLACE, WE HAVE A VERY SAFE
CORRIDOR. THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE
IS THAT, AS MR. JOHNSON
INDICATED, WE HAVE HOT SPOTS
THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE
GOING TO GIVE. JUST AS WE
EXPERIENCED WITH THIS MOST
RECENT MARIPOSA, POINT CLOSURE,
THAT CAUSED US TO REACT VERY,
VERY QUICKLY TO HAVE TO CLOSE
DOWN THE CORRIDOR DUE TO SAFETY
CONCERNS, SO, HOPEFULLY WE WILL
CONTINUE TO REMAIN SAFE AND
HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE, WE WANT
THOSE HOT SPOTS, WON'T BE
REALIZED. BUT IF THEY DO AND WE
END UP IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION,
WE'LL HAVE TO DO WHAT WE'VE DONE
IN THE PAST AND TAKE THE
CORRIDOR OUT OF OPERATION UNTIL
IT CAN. IT CAN BE PROTECTED. THE
REASON I ASK IS I'VE GOT ORANGE
COUNTY AND L.A. COUNTY. SO, YOU
KNOW, IMAGINE EVERYONE COMING
OUT OF L.A. COUNTY, GOING INTO
ORANGE COUNTY. SO THE QUESTION I
THINK IS, IS ONE THAT NEEDS TO
BE ANSWERED. AND SO YOU'VE GOT
PEOPLE ON TOP OF IT EVERY SINGLE
DAY. GOD FORBID THAT THERE'S
CHANGES. AND YOU CAN REACT
QUICKLY. CERTAINLY THAT'S AND
THAT THAT IS OUR JOB. AND WE
HAVE REGULAR INSPECTIONS. WE
OBVIOUSLY KNOW WHERE THESE HOT
SPOTS ARE. SO WE'RE PAYING EVEN
CLOSER ATTENTION WHERE WE HAVE
AREAS WHERE WE KNOW WE HAVE
CONCERNS, AND IF AGAIN, IF THAT
TOUGH CALL HAS TO BE MADE
BECAUSE SOMETHING STARTS TO
GIVE, WE'LL BE PREPARED TO DO
THAT, BUT YOUR POINT IS A GOOD
ONE, SENATOR. THIS IS A VERY,
VERY BUSY CORRIDOR. LOS ANGELES
TO SAN DIEGO AND WE WANT TO KEEP
IT OPERATING FOR THE MOVEMENT OF
PEOPLE GOODS IN THE MILITARY.
MADAM CHAIR, ONE MORE. WHAT IS
THE INFLUX OF MONEY THAT YOU
NEED IMMEDIATELY OVER THE NEXT 3
TO 5 YEARS? THROUGH THE CHAIR.
SENATOR ARCHULETA, I THINK WE'RE
STILL AT THE CONCEPTUAL LEVEL,
BUT OUR THINKING IS REALLY IN
THIS SPACE HERE, AS I'VE SAID A
FEW TIMES TODAY, THAT WE BELIEVE
IT IS A THREE PRONGED APPROACH
WITH CATCHMENT WALLS, ROCK
REVETMENT, PLUS SAND
NOURISHMENT. OUR CONCEPTUAL
LEVEL ESTIMATE IS BETWEEN 210
AND $310 MILLION. IN THAT TIME
FRAME TO BE ABLE TO DO THE
DESIGN, THE PERMITTING AND THE
BUILDING OF THE WALLS,
DELIVERING OF ROCK AND THE
DREDGING OF THE SAND. AND AS YOU
MENTIONED, THE DIFFICULT PART IS
GETTING PEOPLE TO BE PROACTIVE.
RIGHT. WELL, WE'VE GOT TO WAKE
THEM UP. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO
OUR NEXT PANEL. WE VERY MUCH
APPRECIATE ALL FOUR OF YOU
COMING UP AND SPEAKING TO US
TODAY. SO NEXT WE HAVE
CHRISTOPHER CALFEE, CALIFORNIA
NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY SPECIAL
COUNSEL TO THE SECRETARY. WE
HAVE KATE HUCKLE, BRIDGE,
CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHAD
EDISON, TRANSPORTATION AGENCY
CHIEF DEPUTY SECRETARY, RAIL AND
TRANSIT. SO WE WELCOME THE THREE
OF YOU UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PATIENCE. AND I THINK WE WILL
START WITH THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE COASTAL
COMMISSION, MISS HUCKLEBERRY.
WELCOME. HELLO, ALL RIGHT. LET
ME PULL UP MY.
THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. GOOD
AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS, I AM KATE
HULLBRIDGE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL
COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THE INVITATION TO BE HERE
TODAY AND TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT
THE ROLE OF THE COASTAL
COMMISSION IN, MANAGEMENT AND
PLANNING FOR THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR. SO I IMAGINE YOU'RE
LARGELY FAMILIAR WITH THE
COASTAL COMMISSION, BUT FOR
THOSE WHO ARE NOT, I'LL DO A
VERY, VERY BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
THE COASTAL COMMISSION IS
CHARGED WITH PROTECTING AND
ENHANCING CALIFORNIA'S COAST FOR
PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WE DO THIS THROUGH CAREFUL
PLANNING AND REGULATION OF
ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT, RIGOROUS USE OF
SCIENCE, STRONG PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION, EDUCATION, AND
EFFECTIVE INTERGOVERNMENTAL
COORDINATION. MORE SPECIFICALLY,
THE KHÓ. THE COMMISSION
IMPLEMENTS THE COASTAL ACT,
WHICH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN
1970, IN 1972, AND CONTAINS
BROAD STATEWIDE POLICIES
INTENDED TO GUIDE PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT ALONG CALIFORNIA'S
COASTAL ZONE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE
HERE ON THE MAP IN RED. WHILE
THE COASTAL ACT CONTAINS
POLICIES FOR A WIDE ARRAY OF
TOPICS, SOME OF THE POLICY
PRIORITIES MOST RELEVANT TO
TODAY'S DISCUSSION INCLUDE
MAXIMIZING PUBLIC COASTAL ACCESS
, PROTECTING SENSITIVE HABITAT,
WATER QUALITY, AND MARINE
RESOURCES. MINIMIZING VEHICLE
MILES TRAVELED, AND ENSURING THE
PUBLIC SAFETY FROM COASTAL
HAZARDS SUCH AS EROSION. THE
COMMISSION TRANSLATES THESE
BROAD STATEWIDE POLICIES INTO
CONCRETE ACTIONS THROUGH ITS
DUAL ROLE AS BOTH A PLANNING
AGENCY AND A REGULATORY AGENCY.
ON THE PLANNING SIDE, ONE OF THE
COMMISSION'S KEY STATUTORY
FUNCTIONS IS TO ASSIST LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS IN DEVELOPING AND
MAINTAINING LOCAL COASTAL
PROGRAM, OR LCP. AS YOU HEARD IN
THE LAST PANEL, LCP ARE THE
PLANNING TOOL BY WHICH LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS IN THE COASTAL ZONE
IMPLEMENT THE COASTAL ACT WITHIN
THEIR JURISDICTION AND THEY
CONTAIN LAND USE POLICIES AND
ORDINANCES TO GUIDE COASTAL
DEVELOPMENT. ONE OF THE
COMMISSION'S PRIORITIES IN
RECENT YEARS, AND THIS WAS
AFFIRMED LAST YEAR IN
LEGISLATION, HAS BEEN PARTNERING
WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO UPDATE
THEIR LCP TO ASSESS THE RISKS
POSED BY SEA LEVEL RISE AND
RELATED COASTAL HAZARDS, AND TO
DEVELOP LOCAL PLANS FOR
COMMUNITY SCALE SEA LEVEL RISE,
ADAPTATION. THÀNH. THE
COMMISSION SIMILARLY
COLLABORATES WITH STATE AND
REGIONAL PARTNERS ON PLANS
RELATED TO SEA LEVEL RISE AND
OTHER COASTAL PRIORITY
PRIORITIES, SUCH AS PUBLIC
ACCESS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE
COMMISSION HAS A STRONG WORKING
RELATIONSHIP WITH CALTRANS
CENTERED AROUND THE PLANNING FOR
STATE TRANSPORTATION
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE COASTAL
ZONE. ONE FOCUS OF THIS
COLLABORATION HAS BEEN THE
GROWING ALIGNMENT OF STATE
TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND
COASTAL ADAPTATION POLICY. IN
FOUNDATIONAL PLANNING DOCUMENTS
SUCH AS THE STATE RAIL PLAN, BY
BAKING STATE COASTAL POLICIES
INTO THESE LOCAL AND REGIONAL
PLANS, WE LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR
EFFICIENTLY PERMITTING PROJECTS
THAT IMPLEMENT THOSE POLICIES.
RELEVANT TO TODAY'S DISCUSSION,
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PLANNING
PRODUCT CREATED BY THE
COMMISSION IS OUR GUIDANCE FOR
ADAPTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
TO SEA LEVEL RISE AND COASTAL
HAZARDS. THIS GUIDANCE WAS
ADOPTED JUST OVER TWO YEARS AGO,
AND IT WAS THE RESULT OF
EXTENSIVE COLLABORATION WITH
STATE RESOURCE AND
TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES, AS WELL
AS LOCAL AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS.
ACADEMIC POLICY AND EQUITY
ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE PUBLIC.
THE GUIDANCE IDENTIFIES POLICY
PILLARS INTENDED TO INFORM HOW
WE APPROACH ASSESSING THE
VULNERABILITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE
TO COASTAL HAZARDS AND PLANNING
FOR ITS ADAPTIVE ADAPTATION. THE
LOW SAND CORRIDOR IS FEATURED AS
A CASE STUDY IN THIS DOCUMENT
FOR HOW WE COLLECTIVELY APPLY
THESE PRINCIPLES TO A TRULY
CRITICAL PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
IN DISCUSSING THE RAIL CORRIDOR,
THE GUIDANCE IDENTIFIES THE
IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSING CLIMATE
VULNERABILITY ON A CORRIDOR
SCALE RATHER THAN IN A PIECEMEAL
FASHION. COORDINATING PLANNING
AND INVESTMENT ACROSS ALL LEVELS
OF GOVERNMENT. PURSUING
MULTI-BENEFIT SOLUTIONS SUCH AS
THOSE THAT PROVIDE COASTAL
ACCESS BOTH IN THE FORM OF
RELIABLE RAIL OPERATION, BUT
ALSO CONTINUED PUBLIC ACCESS TO
THE BEACH AND APPROACHING
ADAPTATION AND PHASES. THESE
POLICIES PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK TO
GUIDE FUTURE COLLABORATIVE
PLANNING AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
EFFORTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR,
WHICH THE COMMISSION IS EAGER TO
BE A PARTNER IN. WE'VE SEEN
THESE PRINCIPAL PRINCIPLES
CARRIED THROUGH INTO PROJECTS
LIKE THE DEL MAR BLUFF
STABILIZATION PROJECT, NUMBER
FIVE, WHICH THE COMMISSION
AUTHORIZED THROUGH A FEDERAL
CONSISTENCY CERTIFICATION IN
2022. THIS PROJECT STABILIZED
THE BLUFF ALONG AN EXTREMELY
VULNERABLE STRETCH OF THE RAIL
CORRIDOR, THEREBY HELPING TO
ENSURE CONSISTENT RAIL
OPERATIONS. SANDAG ALSO DESIGNED
THE PROJECT TO MAINTAIN THE
PUBLIC'S ACCESS TO THE BEACH
ALONG THE PROJECT AREA, TO
MITIGATE IMPACTS TO COASTAL
HABITAT, AND INCORPORATED STUDY
AND PLANNING FOR FUTURE
STRATEGIC RELOCATION OF THE RAIL
LINE OFF THE BLUFF. PROACTIVE
MULTI-BENEFIT PROJECTS LIKE THIS
MAKE REAL PROGRESS ON THE
CHRONIC CHALLENGES FACING THE
CORRIDOR, AND ALLOW US TO MOVE
BEYOND BEING IN A CHRONIC STATE
OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE. AS WE
HEARD IN THE PREVIOUS PANEL,
THERE ARE SEVERAL OF THESE
CHRONIC EMERGENCY HOTSPOTS ALONG
THE SAN CLEMENTE SEGMENT OF THE
CORRIDOR. OVER THE PAST YEAR,
THE COASTAL COMMISSION HAS ACTED
QUICKLY TO AUTHORIZE THE
EMERGENCY WORK NECESSARY TO KEEP
THE RAIL LINE FUNCTIONING SAFELY
AS PART OF THE FOLLOW UP
PERMITTING PROCESS FOR THESE
EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATIONS, AND AS
WE ANTICIPATE UPCOMING WORK, THE
COMMISSION WILL CONTINUE TO
COORDINATE WITH AND OTHER
PARTNERS TO APPLY TO APPLY AN
APPROACH SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS
WORKED IN DEL MAR. THIS INVOLVES
IDENTIFYING EFFICIENT PERMITTING
PATHWAYS THAT ENSURE THE
CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE RAIL
AND ADDRESS IMMEDIATE CONCERNS
RELATED TO BEACH LOSS AND PUBLIC
ACCESS. IMPORTANTLY, WE WILL
ALSO WORK WITH AND PARTNERS TO
FOCUS ON THE LONG TERM PLANNING
THAT IS CRUCIALLY NEEDED TO MAP
OUT A RESILIENT FUTURE FOR THE
RAIL LINE THROUGH SAN CLEMENTE
AND THE REST OF THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR AS A WHOLE. WHILE
PLANNING WORK LIKE THIS IS
INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED, IT IS
SOMETHING THE COMMISSION HAS
EXPERIENCE WITH. THROUGH SHARED
PRINCIPLES AND COORDINATION, WE
CAN SHAPE A FUTURE FOR THE
LAUSANNE CORRIDOR THAT
DEMONSTRATES HOW TO RESPONSIBLY
IMPLEMENT COASTAL MANAGEMENT AND
TRANSPORTATION POLICY IN
RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
THANK YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THE
APPROPRIATE TIME. WELL THANK
YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. ALL
RIGHT, NEXT WE WILL GO TO.
DEPUTY, OUR CHIEF DEPUTY
SECRETARY EDISON
.
GOOD AFTERNOON. CHAIR. BLAKE.
SPEAR AND MEMBERS OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEE. I'M CHAD EDISON,
CHIEF DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR RAIL
AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY. THANK YOU
FOR INVITING ME TO PROVIDE AN
UPDATE ON OUR EFFORTS IN
PARTNERSHIP TO PRIORITIZE
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS AND GROWTH
POTENTIAL OF THE LOW SAND RAIL
CORRIDOR, AS STATED IN TESTIMONY
IN 2023, THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR IS
OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IN MOVING
GOODS AND PEOPLE THROUGHOUT
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO. AND HE
FEATURES HEAVILY IN OUR PLANS
FOR PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR CALIFORNIA. I WOULD LIKE TO
UPDATE YOU ON THREE FOCUS AREAS
FOR US AT CAL ESTÁ AS WE WORK
WITH THE LEGISLATURE, PUBLIC
AGENCIES AND THE COMMUNITIES
ALONG THE CORRIDOR. WE ARE FIRST
COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE
CORRIDOR OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
SECOND, WE'RE FOCUSED ON
IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES FOR
CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO ENSURE
RIDERSHIP GROWTH AND MAKING SURE
THAT CURRENT CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO
GET COMPLETED. THIRD, WE'RE
FOCUSED ON COMMUNICATING AND
PLANNING TRANSPARENTLY. VÆ I
WILL NOW UNPACK EACH OF THESE
FURTHER. AS HAS ALREADY BEEN
DISCUSSED BY THE MANY PRESENTERS
BEFORE ME, THE PARTNERSHIPS
NECESSARY TO KEEP THE CORRIDOR
OPEN IN THE SHORT TERM MUST BE
AS STRONG AND EFFICIENTLY
MANAGED AS POSSIBLE, GIVEN THE
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER RELATED
CHALLENGES WE HAVE EXPERIENCED
DURING THE LAST FEW RAINY
SEASONS. WHAT WE HAVE IMPROVED
COMMUNICATION AND RESPONSE TO
EVENTS THAT RESULT IN CORRIDOR
CLOSURE. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN
OUR RESPONSE AND GET AHEAD OF
THESE EVENTS, MITIGATING THEM IN
ADVANCE IF AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE
AND WILL DEDICATE SIGNIFICANT
STAFF AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO
PARTNERING WITH LOCAL AND STATE
AGENCIES TO KEEP THE CORRIDOR
OPEN. I BELIEVE YOU'VE ALREADY
HEARD THAT COMMITMENT FROM MY
PEERS AT THE AGENCIES THAT
PRESENTED AHEAD OF ME. WE ARE
ALSO FULLY COMMITTED TO
PROVIDING STATE LEADERSHIP AND
ADVANCING THE LONG TERM PLANNING
ON RELOCATION ALTERNATIVES,
WHERE THAT WILL BE NECESSARY.
WHILE OUR AGENCY HAS PLAYED A
SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN FUNDING THE
CURRENT AND FUTURE CAPITAL NEEDS
IN THE CORRIDOR SO THAT
RIDERSHIP CAN CONTINUE TO GROW,
THIS MORE THAN $5 BILLION
INVESTMENT IS OF LIMITED USE. IF
THE CORRIDOR IS NOT OPERABLE FOR
SIGNIFICANT TIME PERIODS. WE
HAVE SPENT THE FIRST MONTHS OF
2024 FOCUSING ON HOW TO EXPEDITE
PRIORITY INVESTMENTS THAT COULD
HELP MITIGATE EXPECTED FUTURE
LANDSLIDE AND OCEAN INSTIGATED
EROSION OF THE CORRIDOR, AND ARE
GLAD THAT OUR AGENCY PARTNERS
ARE WORKING WITH US TO IDENTIFY
MULTIPLE FLEXIBLE APPROACHES
THAT CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO
FEEDBACK FROM COMMISSIONS,
BOARDS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
WE WILL SEEK TO PRIORITIZE
FUNDING TO THESE PROJECTS AND
FUTURE NEEDS BASED ON AN HONEST
EVALUATION OF THE AVAILABILITY
OF LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL
FUNDS. ONE FORM IN WHICH THESE
DISCUSSIONS CAN BE HELD INCLUDES
THE ONGOING QUARTERLY MEETINGS
THAT CAL STATE UNDERSECRETARY
MARK TOLLEFSON CONTINUES TO
CHAIR AND VOLVING PUBLIC
AGENCIES AND OFFICIALS FROM
ACROSS THE CORRIDOR. WE ARE
COMMITTED TO COMMUNICATING AND
PLANNING TRANSPARENTLY. IN
ADDITION TO THE QUARTERLY
MEETINGS, WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING
WITH CALTRANS, THE LAUSANNE RAIL
CORRIDOR AGENCY AND THE MANY
CORRIDOR INFRASTRUCTURE OWNERS
AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE FEDERAL
RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION CORRIDOR
IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM. THIS
PROCESS WILL INCLUDE COMING TO
CONSENSUS ON THE HIGHEST AND
EARLIEST PRIORITY, EARLIEST
PRIORITIES FOR ADDITIONAL
CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN THE
CORRIDOR, OPENNESS OPENING US UP
FOR WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE
SIGNIFICANT. ADDITIONAL FEDERAL
INVESTMENT IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
THE WORK WE DO ACROSS ALL THESE
BODIES WILL BE DOCUMENTED BOTH
THE ANALYSIS AND THE RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS FOR REVIEW BY PUBLIC
AGENCY BOARDS. WE REALLY ARE
MUCH STRONGER WHEN WE ALL WORK
TOGETHER, AND WE CAN ASSURE
THOSE WHO ARE BEING ASKED TO
INVEST IN THE CORRIDOR THAT WE
AGREE AND ARE WELL COORDINATED,
AND WHAT WE ARE DOING TO IMPROVE
RAIL SERVICE. I'M IN CLOSING.
I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE A BRIEF
FOCUS ON THE SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE
COMMITTED TO OVER TO OVER THE
LAST TEN YEARS OR SO. SOME OF
THEM COMPLETED, OTHERS STILL IN
THE PROCESS OF GETTING INTO
CONSTRUCTION. WHILE THE TOTAL
INVESTMENTS ARE MORE THAN WERE,
THE TOTAL IS MORE THAN $5
BILLION. I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON
THOSE THAT ARE AT LEAST 4.3
BILLION OF THAT TOTAL IN THE
COMPLETED CATEGORY IS THE MORE
THAN HALF A BILLION OF FUNDING
FOR CLEANER TIER FOUR
LOCOMOTIVES FOR LOW SAND,
METROLINK AND COASTER ALONG WITH
THE COMPLETION OF POSITIVE TRAIN
CONTROL INVESTMENTS THAT MADE
THE CORRIDOR SAFER. IN THE WELL
UNDERWAY CATEGORY ARE TWO GRADE
SEPARATIONS. THE ROSECRANS
MARQUARDT CROSSING IN LA COUNTY
IN THE RICE AVENUE, GRADE
SEPARATION IN VENTURA COUNTY
TOTALING NEARLY $300 MILLION
BETWEEN THEM. FINALLY, WE HAVE
THREE MAJOR SERVICE EXPANSION
PROGRAMS THE METROLINK IN LA
UNION STATION SCORE PHASE ONE
PROGRAM, THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY
RAIL PROJECTS, MANY OF WHICH
HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND THE LOW
SAND NORTH SERVICE EXPANSION
PROJECTS THAT ALLOW US TO ADD
MORE THROUGH TRAINS TO SANTA
BARBARA AND SAN LUIS OBISPO. THE
TOTAL INVESTMENT WILL EXCEED
$3.5 BILLION IN THESE SELECTED
PROJECTS. IN A SIGNIFICANT
PORTION OF THE FUNDING IS
DEDICATED TO THE CORRIDOR
PROTECTION AND IN PREPARING FOR
FUTURE RAIL LINE RELOCATION. WE
NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING
THIS FULL SET OF INVESTMENTS TO
COMPLETION, WHICH IN SOME CASES
WILL MEAN FINDING SOME
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND ALSO
CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY AND FUND
ADDITIONAL CRITICAL PROJECTS ON
TOP OF THESE. THIS CONCLUDES MY
TESTIMONY. I'D BE GLAD TO JOIN
THE OTHER PANELISTS IN ANSWERING
YOUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. OKAY.
THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND NOW WE WILL GO TO
CHRISTOPHER CALFEE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR. YES, I'LL LET YOU
INTRODUCE YOURSELF. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH, SENATOR, MY NAME IS
CHRISTOPHER CALFEE. I'M SPECIAL
COUNSEL TO SECRETARY CROWFOOT AT
THE CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES
AGENCY. IN THAT ROLE, I'M THE
AGENCY'S POINT ON ALL THINGS
INFRASTRUCTURE AND PERMITTING.
IN PARTICULAR, THE NATURAL
RESOURCES AGENCY HAS A LONG
HISTORY OF COLLABORATING WITH
STATE AND LOCAL PARTNERS TO
FACILITATE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
AVOIDS HARM AND PROVIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS. WE ARE
ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE
GOVERNOR'S INFRASTRUCTURE STRIKE
TEAM, AND WERE PART OF THE TEAM
THAT WORKED TO DEVELOP THE
GOVERNOR'S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
ON INFRASTRUCTURE LAST YEAR,
MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE
TRANSPORTATION CONTEXT, THE
NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY
PARTNERS CLOSELY WITH THE
CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION AGENCY
ON VARIOUS MATTERS OF MUTUAL
INTEREST. ONE EXAMPLE IS OUR
PARTICIPATION IN THE
TRANSPORTATION PERMITTING TASK
FORCE. TOGETHER WITH THE
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY, THE
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY, CALTRANS
WATER BOARD, COASTAL COMMISSION,
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND
WILDLIFE. THIS TASK FORCE WORKED
TOGETHER TO DEVELOP FRAMEWORKS
FOR REDUCING, PERMITTING TIMES
AND IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL
OUTCOMES THROUGH EARLY
ENGAGEMENT LIAISON CONTRACTS
WITH THE PERMITTING AGENCIES,
DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICES
MANUALS AND OTHERS. ANOTHER
RECENT EXAMPLE IS COLLABORATION
WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AGENCY
CALTRANS AND OTHER PARTNERS ON
PLANNING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO
HIGHWAY 37 TO ENHANCE HABITAT
AND INCREASE RESILIENCE TO SEA
LEVEL RISE FOR THAT CORRIDOR. ON
THE SPECIFIC TOPIC OF THE LOW
SAND CORRIDOR, THE
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY HAS
UPDATED US ON RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS ON THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR AND CONCEPTS FOR
NEAR-TERM IMPROVEMENTS TO AVOID
SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS, AS WELL
AS PLANNING AND WORK ON LONGER
TERM SOLUTIONS. AS SECRETARIES,
OMISAKIN AND CROWFOOT HAVE MET
TOGETHER WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE
TEAMS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
LOW SAND CORRIDOR AND THE NEED
TO COORDINATE THE ACTIVITIES OF
PERMITTING AGENCIES SO THAT THE
WORK CAN PROCEED AS
EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
THOUGH A GOOD DEAL OF
COORDINATION HAS ALREADY BEEN
UNDERWAY, SOME OF WHICH DOCTOR
HULLBRIDGE MENTIONED IN HER
COMMENTS. WE HAVE RECENTLY
GATHERED WITH LEADERSHIP OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE,
COASTAL COMMISSION, STATE LANDS
COMMISSION AND STATE AND
REGIONAL WATER BOARDS TO
ESTABLISH POINTS OF CONTACT AND
LINES OF COMMUNICATION ON
NEAR-TERM PROPOSALS. WE LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS
PARTNERSHIP AS MORE SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS ARE EVALUATED. IN
CLOSING, I WANT TO REITERATE
THAT WE AT THE NATURAL RESOURCES
AGENCY VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE LOW SAND
CORRIDOR AND THE NEED TO KEEP
PASSENGER AND FREIGHT LINES OPEN
AND ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING
WITH OUR PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT
THE NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS ARE
THOUGHTFULLY DESIGNED AND
CONSIDERED BY PERMITTING
AGENCIES IN A TIMELY WAY. THANK
YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
HERE THIS AFTERNOON, AND AM
HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE
REALLY APPRECIATE THE THREE OF
YOU COMING TODAY, I'LL ASK MY
COLLEAGUE, SENATOR ARCHULETA. DO
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'D LIKE
TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE,
AND I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH
WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT AN
ASSET WE HAVE HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, ANYONE WHO'S EVER
RIDDEN THE TRAIN AND, COME FROM
LOS ANGELES, SAN DIEGO, IT IS
TRULY AN ASSET FOR ALL OF US.
AND I'M GLAD THE GOVERNOR IS
WITH US ON THIS. IT'S SO
IMPORTANT. THE ONLY QUESTION
THAT I HAVE IS WORKING WITH THE
OTHER SIDE IN REFERENCE. THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT, I
THINK, IS AS YOU MENTIONED,
WORKING TOGETHER AS PARTNERS,
AND I'M STILL PUZZLED WITH THAT,
THAT BEING ABLE TO, WORK
TOGETHER BEFORE SOMETHING DOES
HAPPEN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PRE
PERMITTING, EVALUATIONS AND SO
ON. SO GOD FORBID THAT SOMETHING
HAPPENS, IT YOU'RE ON IT AND,
AND I MAY BE WRONG, BUT IF
THEY'RE TELLING US THAT THEY
NEED YOUR HELP, I THINK YOU TWO
NEED TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT,
YOU KNOW, PUT SOME SCENARIOS
BEHIND YOU AND SEE WHAT'S
HAPPENED. WHAT IF THIS WERE TO
HAPPEN AND YOU'VE GOT THE
PAPERWORK AND PERMITTING, GOD
FORBID, THAT WE'RE WAITING SIX
MONTHS FOR SOME SOMEONE TO SIGN
OFF ON IT, AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE
TO DO THAT. IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT
WE KEEP THE TRAINS ROLLING
BECAUSE YOU BOTH AGREE THAT IT'S
PRIORITY NUMBER ONE. BUT ON THE
LEGAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING
HAS TO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL
SIDE, BUT WHY NOT DO IT AHEAD OF
TIME? THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN.
BUT I CONGRATULATE THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA AND CERTAINLY THE
COMMISSION, I'M JUST HOPING THAT
MAYBE YOU CAN GET TOGETHER,
MADAM CHAIR. WELL. THANK YOU, SO
I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, AND
I'LL JUST START WITH, SECRETARY
Kò, DEPUTY SECRETARY EDISON, SO,
CAL ESTÁ, I'M WONDERING IF
THERE'S A WAY TO LEVERAGE THE
INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT WE
HAVE WITH CALTRANS AND ITS
KNOWLEDGE. BANDWIDTH LESSONS
LEARNED FROM THE FROM THE ROAD
SIDE OF THINGS TO IMPLEMENT OVER
HERE ON THE RAIL SIDE OF THINGS,
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE WE
COULD AND I'M WONDERING IF
YOU'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT
OR IF THERE'S IF YOU KNOW WHAT
WHAT WHAT YOU WOULD SAY TO THAT?
WELL, I CAN I CAN LOOK BACK ON
WHAT JUST OCCURRED, AT MARIPOSA
AND THE EFFORT THERE DID INCLUDE
US HAVING FOLKS FROM THE
CALTRANS DISTRICT, REALLY
ENGINEERS AND OTHERS, TAKE A
LOOK AT THE GEOTECH SITUATION,
COMING IN ALONGSIDE, COMING IN
ALONGSIDE BNSF AND AMTRAK AND
OTHERS. AND SO WE DO BELIEVE
THAT, LIKE MAKING OUR FULL SET
OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE OVER AT
CALTRANS TO ADVANCING THESE
PROJECTS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE
GOOD, GOOD, GOOD IDEAS IN THE
ROOM AND THAT WE'RE GENERATING
THE RIGHT RESPONSES. WE CAN
DEFINITELY BRING THAT TO BEAR
WHEN IT'S HELPFUL. OKAY. YEAH I
MEAN, WHEN ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT STRIKES ME WHEN I READ THE
STATE RAIL PLAN IS HOW ABYSMALLY
FAR AWAY WE ARE FROM REACHING
ANY OF THE GOALS THAT ARE IN
THERE. AND I, I JUST, I WONDER
IF, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT EVEN
APPLYING FOR FEDERAL MONEY FOR
THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOBS ACT,
THE MONEY THAT'S GOING TO HIGH
SPEED RAIL. WE'RE NOT APPLYING
FOR THOSE GRANTS. AND I, I MY
HOPE IS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SEE
THIS CORRIDOR AND ITS POTENTIAL
TO DO SO MUCH MORE WHILE IT'S
SITTING NEXT TO ROADS THAT ARE
CLOGGED WITH TRAFFIC, TO SAY,
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THIS
OPERATE AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL,
NOT AN INCREMENTALLY HIGHER
LEVEL. I MEAN, ACROSS THE BOARD,
WE'RE STILL DOWN ABOUT 50% FROM,
OUR HIGH BEFORE COVID. AND SO I
KNOW THINGS ARE TRENDING BACK
UP, AS WE HEARD FROM THE FIRST
PANEL, BUT WE'RE STILL NOT
REALLY WHERE ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE
WE NEED TO BE. SO HAVING
RECOGNIZING OUR GOALS IS SO MUCH
HIGHER THAN WHERE WE ARE NOW. I
AM I'M HOPEFUL AND I WOULD LIKE
TO HEAR FROM COUNSEL THAT THERE
IS A SERIOUS FOCUS AND ENERGY ON
GETTING US THERE. SO YOU KNOW,
THE FOCUS ON THAT STATE RAIL
PLAN AND GETTING THE PARTNERS
ALIGNED AND HAVING THE
LEADERSHIP AND PRIORITIZING OF
IT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE AS AS
THE MONTHS ARE TICKING BY, SINCE
WE'VE BEGUN THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND
WE'VE HAD THESE VARIOUS FAILURES
, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT PLACES
FOR A SHORT TERM, YOU KNOW,
WHERE ARE WE AND TRYING TO MEET
THOSE GOALS FROM THE STATE RAIL
PLAN, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I
WOULD SAY THAT THE LARGE NUMBER
OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT I JUST,
WENT THROUGH INCLUDE THAT
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE RAIL
PLAN, WITH OVER $5 BILLION OF
CAPITAL INVESTMENT, MUCH OF
WHICH HAS NOT YET, YOU KNOW,
BEEN IN COMPLETED PROJECTS. THAT
IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT
IN THIS CORRIDOR. AND WE
CONTINUE TO ADD HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO IT
THROUGH FEDERAL GRANT PURSUITS,
WHICH ARE ONGOING, SOME OF WHICH
HAVE RECENTLY RESULTED IN
RECEIVING MONEY, FOR EXAMPLE,
FOR THE SAN DIEGUITO RAIL
BRIDGE, WHICH WAS COUPLED WITH A
WHOLE LOT OF STATE MONEY AS
WELL. THERE ARE MANY
OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF US TO
CONTINUE PURSUING MONEY THROUGH
THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE
LAW. AND WE ARE THEN CONTINUING
TO BUILD THAT PIPELINE OF
PROJECTS THROUGH THE CORRIDOR ID
PROGRAM, WHICH IS REALLY GOING
TO SUPPORT THAT REAUTHORIZATION
OF THE NEXT ROUND OF FEDERAL
FUNDING THROUGH FEDERAL RAILROAD
ADMINISTRATION. SO I BELIEVE
THAT WE ARE AGGRESSIVELY WORKING
TOWARDS MAKING THE CORRIDOR
BETTER, AND THAT IS AND REALLY,
AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO GET A
LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE
ALREADY, PROGRAMED ALL THE WAY
TO COMPLETION, GET THE PROJECTS
INTO CONSTRUCTION AND FINISHED
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S GOING TO
INVOLVE TRYING TO IDENTIFY SOME
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, BECAUSE
PROJECTS GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS
THEY GO THROUGH THE PLANNING
PROCESS AND, AND TAKE LONGER TO
DELIVER, SO, YOU KNOW,
THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WE'RE
REALLY WORKING HARD ON
IMPLEMENTING THE STATE RAIL
PLAN. I THINK WE'RE GETTING OUR
SHARE OF FUNDING IN A IN A
VARIETY OF THESE PROGRAMS ON A
NATIONAL LEVEL, AND WE REALLY
NEED, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED PUSH,
STATEWIDE FOR THE HIGHEST
PRIORITIES, ACROSS THESE
PROGRAMS. OKAY. THANK YOU, AND I
JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR,
DIRECTOR HUCKLE BRIDGE AS WELL,
I WONDER ABOUT WHETHER THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR
NATURE BASED ADAPTATION
STRATEGIES AROUND SAND AND MORE
GUIDANCE THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO
GET THERE, AND SO I WONDER IF
YOU COULD JUST ADDRESS THAT
DIRECTLY. YEAH OF COURSE, I
THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS. I THINK
IT'S A IT'S A CASE SPECIFIC,
QUESTION. AND THERE ARE GOING TO
BE AREAS THAT ARE GET TOO MUCH
WAVE ACTION AND NATURE BASED
SOLUTIONS WON'T BE APPROPRIATE.
BUT YOU KNOW, SAND REPLENISHMENT
AND OF ITSELF CAN BE CONSIDERED
IN SOME CASES A NATURE BASED
SOLUTION. SO I THINK WE'VE BEEN
REALLY PUSHING THAT AS AN
IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF ANY OF
THE WORK IN THIS AREA TO KIND OF
CONSIDER THAT, WE ARE WORKING ON
, GUIDANCE RIGHT NOW, ACTUALLY
ON NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS. SO
IT'S HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE OUT
RELATIVELY SOON. I'M NOT QUITE
SURE OF THE TIMELINE, BUT WE
AGREE THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT
COMPONENT TO LOOK TO LOOK FOR.
AND, BUT IT REALLY DOES DEPEND
SOME OF THESE, I THINK IN SOME
OF THESE VERY HOT SPOT AREAS,
IT'S PROBABLY NOT REALISTIC TO
EXPECT THAT A NATURE BASED
SOLUTION WOULD HOLD UP ALL BY
ITSELF, AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THE
NEED FOR KIND OF A MULTI
COMPONENT, BUT IT SHOULD BE A
MASS, A MAJOR PART OF ANY
PROJECT, SO AGREE WITH YOU
THERE. YES. BECAUSE IT SEEMS
LIKE HAVING SAND ON THE BEACH IS
PART OF THE ACCESS TO THE COAST.
THAT'S PART OF YOUR MISSION.
YES. BECAUSE IF THERE IS NO
SAND, THEN THERE IS NO REAL
ACCESS TO THE TO THE OCEAN
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SCRAMBLE OVER
THE BIG ROCKS. NO. IN SEVERAL
SECTIONS. THAT WE, YOU KNOW THAT
SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE
ALREADY PERMITTED ROCK
REVETMENTS UNDER EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS, WE HAVE LOST THE
BEACH COMPLETELY IN FRONT OF
THOSE AREAS. WE'VE LOST LATERAL
ACCESS FOR MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC, AND FOR ANYBODY WHO
WANTS TO GET VISITORS OR
RESIDENTS. SO I THINK FROM THAT
PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S BEEN FOR US,
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, A KEY
COMPONENT MOVING FORWARD IS THAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE
PACKAGE OF ISSUES. YES, WE NEED
TO WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT MAINTAINING SERVICE ON
THIS VERY IMPORTANT RAIL LINE.
BUT WE CAN DO IT IN A WAY THAT
MAINTAINS PUBLIC ACCESS AND
MAINTAINS BEACH FOR THE PEOPLE
OF CALIFORNIA AND FOR ORANGE
COUNTY. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY AND
THEN I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION
FOR SPECIAL COUNSEL, KELSEY, DO
YOU FEEL LIKE THERE ARE
PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES IN
PLACE FOR THE WITH THE LEVEL OF
COORDINATION AND GOAL SETTING
THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR, DO
YOU FEEL LIKE THOSE PROCESSES
ARE EXISTING AND IN PLACE? I'M
CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE A VERY
SOLID FOUNDATION, AND IT'S BUILT
ON THE HISTORY OF OUR WORK
TOGETHER. MANY OF OUR AGENCIES
TOGETHER OVER MANY DIFFERENT
PROJECT TYPES. YOU MENTIONED A
ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS BEING ONE
OF THEM. I THINK HERE WE WILL
BUILD ON THAT FOUNDATION AND
CONTINUE TO, APPLY THOSE LESSONS
LEARNED TO THIS SPECIFIC
CONTEXT. BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT
OKAY, OKAY. THANK YOU, SO THOSE
ARE THE END OF MY QUESTIONS. DO
YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
YOU WANTED TO ASK? OKAY. WELL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR
WITNESSES, TO ALL THE WITNESSES
WHO JOINED US TODAY, WE REALLY
NEED ALL OF YOUR VOICES AND YOUR
LEADERSHIP IN THIS TOGETHER, AND
THEN, AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT,
I'D JUST LIKE TO SHARE A FEW
COMMENTS IN CLOSING. IT'S OKAY.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. THANK
YOU. SO WE TRULY ARE AT A
CROSSROADS TODAY. WE HEARD MORE
OF SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED
AND THE VERY REAL CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE FACING
THE RAIL CORRIDOR AND OUR
CALIFORNIA COAST, BOTH OF THESE
REQUIRE US TO THINK BEYOND ANY
ONE COUNTY OPERATOR OR STATE
AGENCY WHEN RESPONDING TO
EMERGENCIES OR PLANNING FOR THE
FUTURE. IT'S CLEAR THE RAIL
CORRIDOR IS NOT OPERATING RIGHT
NOW AT ITS HIGHEST POTENTIAL.
THIS IS OCCURRING IN AN
ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE STATE AND
LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE RELYING ON
THE CORRIDOR AND COAST LINE TO
MUTUALLY SUPPORT THE STATE'S
CLIMATE, COASTAL MOBILITY AND
SUSTAINABILITY GOALS. AND WE
CANNOT ACCEPT AN EITHER OR
SOLUTION. BOTH OUR COAST LINE
AND THE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR
ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO US, BOTH
FOR THE RESOURCES THEY PROVIDE
TODAY AND FOR THEIR PROMISE FOR
OUR FUTURE. WHILE WE FACE A
CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT CREATED
OVER DECADES BY CHANGING TRAVEL
PATTERNS AS STATE AND LOCAL
PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION, AND
INCREASINGLY COMPLEX WEATHER AND
OCEANIC RELATED EVENTS ALONG
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S FRAGILE
COASTLINE, WE HAVE NEVER HAD
THIS LEVEL OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT,
DATA AND PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN
LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AROUND THIS RAIL
CORRIDOR. SO I ASK THAT AS WE
CONCLUDE OUR HEARING TODAY, WE
NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE
OF ALL WORKING TOGETHER
COLLABORATIVELY FOR THE BENEFIT
OF A REGION THAT WE ALL CARE SO
MUCH FOR. AND YOU HAVE THAT
COMMITMENT FROM ME AS CHAIR OF
THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, SO WE ARE
GOING TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS
NOW. AND I WOULD, LIKE TO ASK
YOU TO COME TO, TO THIS
MICROPHONE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS. DO WE HAVE
ANYONE WANTING TO. OKAY, GOOD.
GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR.
HONORABLE SENATORS, MY NAME IS
SHIRLEY WEISS. I'M A LONG TIME
RESIDENT OF DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA
AND HAVE PRACTICED LAW IN
CALIFORNIA FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND
STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS. I WAS
ALSO ALSO SERVED IN EXECUTIVE
LEADERSHIP AT MY FIRM, WHICH IS
WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST
FIRMS IN THE WORLD, ATTORNEY
LAURA SCHAEFER AND I HAVE
CLOSELY STUDIED SB 1098 AND
SUBMITTED A POSITION PAPER
RESPECTFULLY PROPOSING
AMENDMENTS, PRINCIPALLY, THAT.
THE COASTAL COMMISSION BE ADDED
AS AN EQUAL MEMBER OF THE
WORKING GROUP CREATED BY THE
BILL TO RENDER PERIODIC REPORTS
TO THE LEGISLATURE. SECOND, THAT
THE CONTENT OF THE REPORTS BE
AUGMENTED TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ANY
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AFFECTING
THE COAST, AND THIRD, THAT ANY
AGENCY VIDAK POWER OVER THE
CONTENT OF THE REPORTS BE
ELIMINATED. INSTEAD THAT ANY
AGENCY OBJECTING TO THE CONTENTS
OF THE REPORTS BE INCLUDED. THE
PORTION OF THE LOW SAND CORRIDOR
THAT RUNS THROUGH THE COASTAL
ZONE LIES AT THE CROSSROADS OF
BOTH THE INTERESTS AND
TRANSPORTATION, AND THE PUBLIC'S
RIGHT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION OF THE COAST. FOR THE
LONG TERM, THERE IS TENSION
BETWEEN THOSE INTERESTS AS THE
TRACKS WILL BE MOVED OFF THE
COAST IN SAN DIEGO, IN SAN DIEGO
AND LIKELY ORANGE COUNTY. Tð
MOTHER NATURE HAS PUT HER THUMB
ON THE SCALE, BUT NOT FOR
ANOTHER 1115 YEARS OR MORE,
CONTINUED RAIL CARRIAGE ON THE
COAST IS TEMPORARY IN THE GREAT
SCHEME OF THINGS, BUT INTERIM
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT MAY
RESULT FROM THIS BILL WILL LEAVE
PERMANENT CHANGES THAT WILL
AFFECT THE COAST AND THE COASTAL
CITIES, BOTH ESTHETIC AND
ECONOMIC, FOR GENERATIONS. SB
1098 IS A PLANNING BILL THAT
CREATES AN ONGOING INFORMATION
AND RECOMMENDATION. HIGHWAY
SUPERHIGHWAY DIRECTLY TO THE
LEGISLATURE THAT WILL RESULT IN
ACTION ON THE COAST. BUT THIS
BILL IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMBALANCED
BECAUSE THE INFORMATION AND
RECOMMENDATION FLOW IS ALMOST
EXCLUSIVELY FROM TRANSPORTATION
AND RAIL AGENCIES AND PRIVATE
RAILROADS, WITH ONLY, MY OPINION
TOKEN INPUT FROM THE COASTAL
COMMISSION, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY
AGENCY CHARGED BY LAW WITH
PROTECTING THE COAST AND HAS A
WEALTH OF INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE ON THIS VERY
SUBJECT. IN LIGHT OF THE BILL,
IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE COASTAL
COMMISSION TO BE INVOLVED IN
JUST THE PERMIT PROCESS, WHETHER
EMERGENCY OR OTHERWISE. IT WILL
EXPEDITE THE GOALS OF THIS BILL
TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL
COMMISSION AT THE PLANNING
STAGE. CALIFORNIANS HAVE A
STRONG STAKE IN PRESERVING THE
COAST FOR GENERATIONS, AN
INTEREST AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE
TEMPORARY USE OF THE COAST FOR
FREIGHT AND PASSENGER SERVICE.
THE COASTAL COMMISSION NEEDS TO
BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS.
IT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE
WORKING GROUP CREATED BY THE
BILL, AND AN EQUAL PARTICIPANT
WITH THE RAIL AGENCIES AND
RAILROADS. AT EVERY STAGE OF THE
INFORMATION RECOMMENDATION AND
PLANNING PROCESS CREATED BY THIS
BILL. WITH RESPECT TO THE
COASTAL ZONE, WHAT IS AT STAKE?
THE LONG TERM THRIVE ABILITY OF
OUR COAST AND COASTAL CITIES?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
THANK YOU SHIRLEY, AND THANK YOU
FOR COMING HERE FROM DELMAR FOR
THIS HEARING. ANYBODY ELSE
WISHING TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS?
NO. OKAY WELL, THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING IN LISTENING TODAY
. YOU MAY SUBMIT ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS IN
WRITING TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE, AND
I'D LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO
ALREADY HAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US,
AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE YOU IN
THE OFFICIAL HEARING RECORDS.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED
US TODAY AND WE ARE NOW
ADJOURNED