RailTEC Archives

Metrolink Branch Line to John Wayne Airport

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 00:05:08 -0400

Public comment submitted to the Irvine, CA City Council on September 10, 2002.
The State Department of Transportation is in the programmatic environmental review stage of a Caltrans Department of Rail proposal to upgrade the existing Los Angeles to San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
A major goal of the proposed LOSSAN corridor investments is to increase rail commutation in the populated Los Angeles to San Diego coastal region through more efficient service.
The main thrust of this proposal is to double track remaining single track in the corridor. A second objective is to grade separate at grade crossings.
However, other potential improvements should be included in this environmental examination of the LOSSAN corridor.
One proposal would be to introduce Metrolink service on existing freight branch lines. Investments would include modernizing and upgrading signalization, crossings, rail and rail beds as well as siting and building rail stations.
Three future Metrolink branch lines should include:
1. The Irvine Business Complex (IBC) branch line. This BNSF freight spur that joins the LOSSAN corridor between Redhill Avenue and the Costa Mesa Freeway (in between Tustin and Santa Ana stations), enters the City of Irvine as it crosses Red Hill Avenue south of Barranca Parkway and terminates on Main Street just south of Von Karman Avenue (1.1 miles from John Wayne Airport.)
The IBC branch line would be even more user friendly if time transfer shuttle service was established to meet IBC Metrolink trains. Separate shuttles could service John Wayne Airport, UC Irvine and the IBC District.
OCTA and City of Irvine transportation planning should include linkages between future Centerline service and IBC Metrolink branch line service.
The effectiveness of the IBC branch line will be maximized if IBC Metrolink service runs to Oceanside and Los Angeles (currently the BNSF track runs only toward Oceanside) and Metrolink establishes an eighth line to service LAX and South Bay cities such as Redondo Beach and Torrance.
With voter rejection of El Toro Airport, initiating IBC Metrolink branch line service (and with the cooperation of appropriate state and Los Angeles County agencies) and direct Metrolink service from Orange County to LAX (on the BNSF Harbor subdivision line) should become top OCTA and City of Irvine transportation planning priorities.
With a new station, the City of Irvine would benefit from the prestige associated with becoming the first city on the Orange County Line with two Metrolink stations.
2. The Harbor Boulevard branch line. This UP RR freight spur intersects with the LOSSAN corridor just south of 4th Street in Santa Ana. It shares a grade separated railroad bridge with the LOSSAN corridor that crosses over 1st Street just west of Grand Avenue, which it parallels until it crosses Warner Avenue. It then heads southwest where it crosses Bristol and Fairview Avenues toward the San Diego Freeway just east of Harbor Boulevard. It terminates at South Coast Drive adjacent to the Los Angeles Times Orange County production plant.
The Harbor Boulevard branch line would service South Coast Plaza and other Segerstrom developments, National University, Whittier Law School and with time transfer shuttle service it could serve Orange Coast College and Orange County Fairgrounds.
OCTA and City of Santa Ana and Costa Mesa transportation planning should include linkages between future Centerline service and Harbor Boulevard Metrolink branch line service.
These Metrolink branch lines would introduce commuter rail service to the Interstate 405 corridor in Orange County.
City of Irvine, Santa Ana and Costa Mesa and OCTA transportation planners should integrate IBC and Harbor Boulevard Metrolink branch lines with the 11.4-mile UC Irvine Centerline alignment in planning for rail transit for Orange County. Requisite planning studies should be requested by staff and approved by the OCTA Board and City Councils in Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. Costs will likely be much lower than building from the ground up.
Initiating IBC and Harbor Boulevard Metrolink branch line service should become a top priority for OCTA and the cities of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. If appropriate agencies and city governments adopt a proactive strategy, IBC and Harbor Boulevard Metrolink branch line service could commence well ahead of the UC Irvine Centerline alignment. And branch line service would benefit a much broader population base in Orange and neighboring counties.
OCTA should concurrently increase Metrolink service frequencies to include midday and evening trains and commence weekend service. Weekend service will accommodate train users at stations only serviced by Metrolink, such as Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo, Norwalk and Tustin.

The 2002 Double Track Controversy

Tue, 13 Aug 2002 20:12:33 -0400

Letter to the Editor, Dana Point News, Thursday, August 8, 2002, pp 13-14
Sensible Double Tracking Would Improve the Area
by Richard Stowe
Caltrans will hold a public scoping meeting from 6 to 8 PM on Tuesday August 13, at the San Juan Community Center. Its focus will be double tracking from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego along theLos Angeles to San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
Constructive criticism should be voiced regarding the proposed project as it pertains to Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Public comment will be officially recorded. The meeting provides us with an opportunity to mitigate impacts of adding a second track in Dana Point by mandating improvements as part of project scope.
These might include:
Create a grade separated vehicular and pedestrian undercrossing at Beach Road in Capistrano Beach and at Del Obispo in San Juan Capistrano with pedestrian walkways parallel to double track bridges above vehicular undercrossings.
Grade separated pedestrian undercrossings to increase beach access, which will be identified later.
3. A rebuilt Serra Depot in Capistrano Beach to serve Metrolink commuters.
4. Transit oriented residential development in Capistrano Beach next to the rebuilt Depot. Rancho Mission Viejo should be the lead agent in these developments in exchange for gifted land to the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy.
5. A sixty-mile per hour double track curve in Dana Point designed to crest a lowered Pacific Coast Highway connector to Interstate 5 in order to recreate an unencumbered ocean view in Capistrano Beach.
It is time to invest in sensible improvements to our rail corridor that will increase public safety, help small business, improve environmental quality and reduce delays for vehicles, pedestrians and rail passengers.
Voiced support of a sensible double track project at the August 13th public scoping meeting is invaluable to the future quality of life in Dana Point and neighboring cities. Please call 949-248-9663 or e-mail me at rmstowe@RailTEC.org if you wish to sign a petition to indicate your support for sensible double track.
Richard M. Stowe Railroad Transportation Excellence Coalition San Juan Capistrano

A sixty mile per hour curve in Dana Point?

Thu, 8 Aug 2002 23:40:36 -0400

Letter to the Editor, Dana Point News, Thursday, August 8, 2002, pp 13-14
Sensible Double Tracking Would Improve the Area
by Richard Stowe
Caltrans will hold a public scoping meeting from 6 to 8 PM on Tuesday August 13, at the San Juan Community Center. It’s focus will be double tracking from San Juan Capistrano to San Diego along theLos Angeles to San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
Constructive criticism should be voiced regarding the proposed project as it pertains to Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Public comment will be officially recorded. The meeting provides us with an opportunity to mitigate impacts of adding a second track in Dana Point by mandating improvements as part of project scope.
These might include:
1. Create a grade separated vehicular and pedestrian undercrossing at Beach Road in Capistrano Beach and at Del Obispo in San Juan Capistrano with pedestrian walkways parallel to double track bridges above vehicular undercrossings.
2. Grade separated pedestrian undercrossings to increase beach access, which will be identified later.
3. A rebuilt Serra Depot in Capistrano Beach to serve Metrolink commuters.
4. Transit oriented residential development in Capistrano Beach next to the rebuilt Depot. Rancho Mission Viejo should be the lead agent in these developments in exchange for gifted land to the Rancho Mission Viejo Land Conservancy.
5. A sixty-mile per hour double track curve in Dana Point designed to crest a lowered Pacific Coast Highway connector to Interstate 5 in order to recreate an unencumbered ocean view in Capistrano Beach.
It is time to invest in sensible improvements to our rail corridor that will increase public safety, help small business, improve environmental quality and reduce delays for vehicles, pedestrians and rail passengers.
Voiced support of a sensible double track project at the August 13th public scoping meeting is invaluable to the future quality of life in Dana Point and neighboring cities. Please call 949-248-9663 or e-mail me at rmstowe@RailTEC.org if you wish to sign a petition to indicate your support for sensible double track.
Richard M. Stowe Railroad Transportation Excellence Coalition San Juan Capistrano