FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2026
Latisha Townsend – Communications Director, Supervisor Foley
(714) 559-8364 | Latisha.Townsend@ocgov.com
OC Supervisor Katrina Foley Shares Statement Regarding Coastal Rail Resiliency Study; Public Invited to Review
ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA – The Orange County Transportation Authority invites residents, businesses and stakeholders to participate in two upcoming public meetings on the Coastal Rail Resiliency Study, which is evaluating potential strategies to help protect approximately 7 miles of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor through Dana Point and San Clemente to the San Diego County line for up to the next 30 years.
The meetings will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the final Draft Feasibility Study, ask questions and provide feedback on a range of refined concepts before the study is completed and presented to the OCTA Board of Directors this fall.
“This study ensures we protect the vital transportation corridor while preserving our coastline. As we evaluate long-term solutions, I continue advocating for nature-based solutions and sand nourishment,” said Supervisor Katrina Foley. “I encourage residents, businesses and stakeholders to participate in these meetings, learn more about the science behind the study, and help shape a comprehensive path forward for our rail line, beaches and local economy.”
The meetings are planned for:
- In-Person Public Meeting
Monday, Aug. 10, 2026
5 to 6 p.m.
San Clemente City Hall
910 Calle Negocio
San Clemente, CA 92673
- Virtual Public Meeting
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026
5 to 6 p.m.
Webinar ID: 858 8924 9103
Registration: https://bit.ly/CRRS-Aug11
Call-in: (669) 900-6833
Spanish interpretation will be available at both meetings. Additional interpretation services and special accommodations are available by emailing CRRS@octa.net at least 72 hours before the scheduled meetings.
The Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Corridor is one of the nation’s busiest passenger and freight rail corridors, serving Metrolink, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, freight rail operations and military transportation. Along the South Orange County coastline, increasingly frequent coastal erosion, bluff movement, high tides, storms and ocean swells have caused repeated service disruptions and required ongoing emergency stabilization work. The Coastal Rail Resiliency Study is intended to help move from repeatedly responding to emergencies toward a more coordinated, proactive approach to maintaining safe and reliable rail service over the next 30 years.
The study is evaluating a variety of potential engineering approaches that could help protect the existing rail line while a separate, state-led effort examines longer-term solutions for the corridor beyond the next three decades.
The Draft Feasibility Study does not identify a single preferred project or propose one solution for the entire 7-mile corridor. Instead, it identifies a toolbox of potentially feasible rail, bluffside and beachside concepts that could be applied selectively based on conditions at specific locations.
The study evaluated 23 concepts including rail-foundation improvements, alternative railroad materials, catchment walls, bluff-stabilization measures and a range of beachside protection approaches. The beachside concepts carried forward all include sand placement and, depending on location, could also include repairing or restoring existing riprap, creating engineered revetments or seawalls, or combinations of those approaches.
Any potential construction would require additional alternatives analysis, conceptual and final engineering, environmental review under applicable state and federal requirements, public engagement, permits, approval by regulatory agencies, and funding would need to be identified.
OCTA has conducted multiple rounds of public outreach during the study and has incorporated community feedback into the ongoing study process. Residents are encouraged to review the Draft Feasibility Study and continue participating as the study moves toward completion.
Please visit www.octa.net/CRRS for additional study information and meeting materials. To inquire about Supervisor Foley’s media availability, please contact Latisha Townsend at (714) 559-8364.
###
Vice Chair Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Vice Chair Foley’s 2026 Board appointments include:
Chair – Orange County Housing Finance Trust
Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)
Orange County Audit Oversight Committee
OC Public Libraries Advisory Board
Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees
Transportation Corridor Agency - Foothill/Eastern
Transportation Corridor Agency - San Joaquin Hills
Coastal Greenbelt Authority
