First Step Toward Commuter Line OKd

Spurred by the horror of Los Angeles-style traffic jams, North County transit officials Thursday approved spending $4.15 million to improve rail facilities, the first step toward a proposed Oceanside-to-San Diego commuter rail link that would provide an alternative to a congested Interstate 5.

Boosted by the Santa Fe Railway Co.’s apparent interest in selling its Oceanside-San Diego tracks to county transportation authorities, the North County Transit Development Board, one of the principal bodies involved in linking the two cities via commuter rail, approved money to improve the Oceanside station and other rail facilities.

The NCTD decision is expected to receive final approval from the San Diego Assn. of Governments (Sandag) today. It marks the first allocation of funds from Proposition A, a county ballot measure passed in November that authorized a 0.5% sales tax increase, part of which was earmarked to establish a commuter rail system in San Diego County.

$70 Million Earmarked

The November initiative appropriates $70 million over the next 20 years to begin a long-awaited, affordable system to shuttle the growing hordes of North County workers into downtown San Diego and back.

There have been past attempts to link Oceanside to San Diego--including an ill-fated proposal to build a fancy, express bullet train.

However, Michael Zdon, a Sandag senior transportation planner who has been the agency’s point man for rail transit for 10 years, says there is no question that the rail project will be built, only when.

“The sheer necessity of this project will override any obstacles and make this project a reality,” Zdon said. “No one wants to deal with the growing congestion on I-5. People want a good alternative.

“I don’t think there’s anything that can really kill this project,” he said. “Every indication we’ve received from Santa Fe is that they want to sell. Getting access to the tracks is the most important thing. At worst, if we have problems reaching agreement about how much the (tracks) are worth, I see the possibility of delays.”

The increasing number of passenger trains running on the tracks now and the drop in freight service, is one reason Santa Fe is interested in selling, said Bob Welk, the company’s vice president.

“There is no question about our willingness to discuss the selling of the track,” Welk said. “That branch no longer fits into our traffic pattern. We have one freight train running on that route, and that’s it. We have no intention of walking away from our customers, and, if we sell the tracks, we will continue (freight and passenger) service. But, this way, it works both ways. . . . We continue our service and San Diego gets an opportunity to gain a commuter rail.”

Transportation planners hope to begin the rail service with four round-trip runs each day during peak commuter hours--for example, 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The trains are scheduled to make nine stops along the 46-mile stretch between Oceanside and San Diego.

Not all of the train stops have been chosen, but Zdon expects these communities to be included in the route: Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Sorrento Valley, Miramar, Old Town and San Diego.

Have to Move Fast

But simply transporting people from North County to San Diego is not enough, Zdon said. The goal is to move them quickly, he said.

“Right now, during peak commuter times, it takes about 60 minutes to drive from Oceanside to San Diego,” Zdon said. “If we want to get people off I-5, we have to prove to them that our service will be better. We have to be able to pick up all those passengers along the nine stops and get them downtown in 60 minutes . . . or less.”

A 1987 traffic study by independent consultants estimated that 24,000 cars pass through Encinitas during a peak commuter hour. By the year 2000, the study projects four trains carrying a total of 8,000 passengers will reduce the number of cars on I-5 by as much as 33%. With expanded commuter service, using six trains, the study predicts a 50% reduction.

Unclogged freeway lanes is an ideal chased by planners, politicians and commuters alike, but Zdon concedes that there are still many obstacles before train service can begin.

Studies are under way to determine potential patronage, revenue, fares, time schedules, equipment and rail improvement for the project, Zdon said.

Money amassed through Proposition A is being funneled to the NCTD and the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, the two governing bodies charged with allocating funds for the commuter rail project.

Decisions made by the two agencies need to be approved by Sandag, which also acts as the regional transportation authority and is responsible for making overall policy decisions. And, in order to receive $10 million in matching grants set aside by the state in the current budget for transit improvement, projects must be approved by the state transportation committee in Sacramento and must begin within 12 to 18 months.

The question of who will be responsible for the commuter rail operation also remains to be decided, Zdon said. Most likely, a joint powers agency will be created--encompassing members from the NCTD, MTDB and elected officials from participating cities--to act as the decision-making body.

“Obviously, it’s something that’s not going to happen overnight, but I’m confident that it will be established,” said San Diego Councilman and MTDB member Ed Struiksma.

“If you knew you could take a dependable ride into downtown, drink a cup of coffee and read the morning paper, wouldn’t you prefer doing that rather than inching along in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-5?” Struiksma asked.

Several companies, including a Japanese firm that has supplied commuter rail cars for the San Jose-San Francisco line, have already expressed interest in providing “rolling stock” for the proposed Oceanside-San Diego Link.

And a three-year, $44-million installation of new rails from Los Angeles to San Diego, financed by San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange counties, along with the Santa Fe Railway and Amtrak, is well under way.

Scheduled to be completed in 1991, the new track will provide a smoother, quieter and faster ride for the Oceanside-San Diego commuter line.

“I’m really pleased with how we’re addressing this common problem of circulation on the highways,” said Carlsbad Councilwoman Ann Kulchin. “I think we’ve come full circle at the way we look at transportation.

” We started with rail and trolley cars, and then with the advent of the car, everybody wanted to drive,” Kulchin said. “It’s time to go back to the rail.”