Limited Service Makes Sense for Del...

With the selection of Solana Beach as a stop on the proposed North County commuter rail line, government planners and transportation officials seem more determined than ever to eliminate Amtrak service from Del Mar.

The North County Transit District, the San Diego Assn. of Governments and the Los Angeles/San Diego Rail Corridor Agency consider the Del Mar station inadequate for commuter rail needs, and the combination of Amtrak and commuter service in Solana Beach the way to maximize efficiency.

Naturally in Del Mar, there is a feeling that the station is being unmercifully ripped out of the framework of the community that has been a successful rail destination for almost 100 years.

Del Mar has had rail service since its origin. The railroad right-of-way was deeded by the South Coast Land Co. (original developers of Del Mar) to what is now the Santa Fe Railway, and, according to local legend, the railway promised that railroads would always service Del Mar, although written records of that have not been found.

People all up and down the Southern California coast come to Del Mar by train, especially during the horse-racing season. And many residents can walk to the station, giving them easy access to the whole Amtrak system.

So Del Mar is concerned about losing the identity and, perhaps, even the heart and soul of the community.

Merchants are also concerned about how the loss of pedestrian and tourist traffic will affect their businesses. Without a train stop, visitors will most likely arrive by car. Since Del Mar already has too little parking, a community known for its pedestrian-oriented charm could quickly turn into one clogged with traffic, much like Sausalito.

Del Mar is well aware that the station has limitations that prevent it from being able to support full Amtrak service. But the solution doesn’t have to be closure. City officials, merchants and residents believe limited Amtrak service is possible and would benefit not only Del Mar, but all of Southern California.

The concept of limited use is not new to Amtrak or to the Los Angeles/San Diego Rail Corridor Agency (Lossan). Trains stop in San Clemente only twice in the morning and once in the afternoon. The San Clemente station has no dedicated parking, and passengers purchase their tickets on the train with no penalty. Amtrak has served San Clemente this way for many years. And, although Lossan, Sandag and NCTD maintain that limited use is confusing to rail passengers, San Clemente city officials say the arrangement has not been a problem. Furthermore, the concept of local and express trains is widely used across the country, proving that passengers can understand differing schedules.

Limited service would be even easier at the Del Mar station, which has more than 90 dedicated parking spaces plus 128 adjacent spaces, most of them unused during weekday peak travel times.

Certainly these spaces could support more than the three stops in San Clemente.

Other limitations of the Del Mar station can be eliminated. The city plans to improve access to the station this year and add a much-needed sidewalk. The platform also needs to be lengthened and raised for handicapped access. Adequate land is available north of the station to allow the expansion needed for trains to visit the station without blocking the nearby intersection.

Funds for these projects would be available if Sandag would abandon its recent, unrealistic proposal to add a seasonal platform near the exercise track at the fairgrounds. Sandag itself rejected the concept just a year ago and its own consultant has advised against it since riders would most likely still need to be shuttled to the grandstand.

With a longer platform, handicapped access, existing parking and the improvements being made by the city, there is no reason why limited service should not be possible at Del Mar once the Solana Beach station opens, in late 1992 or early 1993.

And keeping the station could benefit Amtrak as well. Opponents of limited service fail to take into account how the loss of the Del Mar destination will affect ridership.

One overall fact remains: Del Mar is one of only three stops on the Amtrak line (San Clemente and Santa Barbara are the others) where riders can step off the train and be literally just a few feet from the beach, a fact regularly publicized in Amtrak promotional literature.

Del Mar does welcome the Solana Beach station. But Amtrak, Lossan, NCTD and Sandag have a responsibility to provide a rail system that serves all rail riders in Southern California.

Two stations, a full-service one in Solana Beach and a limited-service one in Del Mar, would do that better than one.