Background

The Coastal Rail Trail (CRT) is a regional project that will establish a multi-use trail to better connect the coastal cities of Oceanside, Del Mar, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and San Diego. Each city entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to plan, design and construct segments of the trail within their respective jurisdictions.

The City of San Diego’s portion of the CRT consists of 10 miles of multi-use trails spanning from Carmel Valley Road on the north to Gilman Drive on the south. This segment of the trail will provide important connections between regional employment centers in Sorrento Valley; UC San Diego (UCSD); University City; residential communities to the north and south; COASTER stations; and a future San Diego Trolley line in the project area.

Through the assistance of a Project Working Group (PWG) consisting of stakeholders, local businesses and community planning group members, a Planning Study analyzed and identified the most suitable alignment for the City of San Diego’s segment. The preferred alignment was selected based on community concerns, environmental and land ownership impacts, and cost.

Project Overview

The selected alignment for the City of San Diego segment connects in the north to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the future Genesee Avenue Class I Bikeway through Gilman Drive, extending from La Jolla Village Drive to the I-5 intersection near La Jolla Colony Drive, connecting to the existing Rose Canyon Bicycle Path in the south.

The proposed project along Gilman Drive plans to install a one-way protected cycle track (Class IV bicycle facility) along both directions of Gilman Drive and a continuous sidewalk along the west side of Gilman Drive. Additional improvements include street lighting, ADA accessibility improvements, and traffic signal improvements.

Benefits

The CRT project will result in several benefits to regional mobility, including:

• Providing a direct north-south connection for bicycles, pedestrians, and joggers.
• Links to regional employment centers in Sorrento Valley, UCSD, and University City for residential communities to the north and south.
• Providing connections to Coaster stations and future Trolley stations in the project area.

Project Schedule & Budget

Visit the CIP Project Page for schedule and budget information.*

*The project's schedule and budget are subject to change.

Contact Us

For questions or concerns about the project, call the Engineering & Capital Projects Department at 619-533-4207, submit your inquiry online or email engineering@sandiego.gov. Please reference "Coastal Rail Trail Project" with your inquiry.