Path to Safety : San Clemente Hires Beach Trail Designer, Hopes to Curb Track Deaths

One day, this could be San Clemente’s version of the famed Laguna Beach and Venice boardwalks.

It’s an idea that has been kicked around this beach town for 30 years, at least: Build a nearly four-mile-long recreational trail along the beach and railroad tracks at the foot of the coastal bluffs.

The trail would link North Beach, now home of the city’s new Metrolink station, to Cotton’s Point at the city’s southern border, the site of former President Richard Nixon’s Western White House.

Just like the popular boardwalks in Venice and Laguna Beach, the trail would provide a playground for bike riders, joggers, in-line skaters and strollers on the beachfront. But it could offer another important asset the city now lacks--safe access across railroad tracks to the sand.

“This is an opportunity for us to accomplish two things at once,” said James S. Holloway, the city’s director of community development. “We can improve the safety for people down there all over the tracks and beaches and improve what can be a great recreational amenity.”

Two recent developments have helped push the $3-million project to the forefront. First, the city last August was awarded a $400,000 state grant administered by the Orange County Transportation Authority, and the city this week hired a consulting firm to come up with a design for the trail.

Such progress has put a smile on the face of Jim Pechous, the associate city planner who is spearheading the long-awaited project.

“We even got the council last night to pass a resolution agreeing to apply for another grant,” Pechous said Thursday. “We’re moving forward.”

What is driving the project now is the danger posed by railroad tracks that meander along the beach for the entire length of the city. An estimated 2 million people visit San Clemente’s beaches every year, and there are few places where they can safely cross the tracks to get to the sand.

Between Amtrak, Metrolink and the freight lines, 26 trains a day rumble through San Clemente along the beachfront tracks that have been there for more than 100 years, according to a city report. In the past year, at least three people have been killed on the tracks within city limits.

“There is a huge potential problem here,” City Manager Michael W. Parness said. “The city is in the terrible position of encouraging people to cross the tracks in places where it is not legal.”

For years, the city has been stuck in the middle between two other public agencies with conflicting goals, Parness said.

On one side is the California Coastal Commission, which has identified 18 public access points to the beach and has mandated that San Clemente keep them open. On the other is the railroad, which is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC insists that only crossings it approves can be used.

Ultimately, the trail system could provide the solution for crossing the tracks safely in several locations, as well as a final link to an existing trail system that starts at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point and runs south in fits and starts all the way to San Onofre State Park at the Orange County-San Diego County border.

The track crossings could either be a bridge, tunnel or an “at grade” crossing such as one that exists at North Beach and the city pier, Pechous said. But where the new access points will be located is yet to be determined, he said.

“A big part of the project will be negotiating with the OCTA to establish safe crossings across the tracks,” Pechous said. “In all likelihood we won’t get access everywhere we want it.”

So far, surfers and local residents seem to applaud the idea of enhancing access to the beach with a recreational trail. Local surfer Nick Carroll of Capistrano Beach, who is also editor of San Clemente-based Surfing Magazine, understands the dangers that exist now.

“There is definitely danger out there now, with the tracks and people crossing frequently,” Carroll said. “San Clemente is a beautiful little town and anything that lets people enjoy the place more is really good. At the same time, you always have to be wary of any attempt to alter the shore environment. But I think this is pretty cool.”

The proposal is to build the trail in three phases: from North Beach to the pier; from the pier to Califia Beach, and finally from Califia to Cotton’s Point. Construction probably won’t start for another year, Pechous said.

Public workshops seeking resident input will be scheduled in the coming months, Pechous added.