Background - (Original Page Nos. 43—47)

Public Transportation

Public transportation in Del Mar, as of 1974, consisted primarily of bus service and Amtrak rail service.

Some 47 acres of Del Mar land, furnishes the right-of-way for the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad which operates a single track serving Los Angeles and San Diego. The right-of-way runs the full length of Del Mar at a width of 100 to 200 feet.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe passenger trains are under contract with the Amtrak System, and Del Mar serves as one of four stations between San Diego and Los Angeles, and travel time is two hours to Los Angeles and 30 minutes to San Diego. As of 1974, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe plan to add two additional commuter trains between San Diego and Los Angeles per day in each direction.

The Greyhound Bus Lines provide direct bus service to San Diego 12 times per day with a travel time of 25 minutes. Service to Los Angeles and coastal communities is provided 13 times per day, has frequent stops, and takes four hours to reach downtown Los Angeles.

A commuter bus operated by the University of California at San Diego provides service between Del Mar and other north coast communities and the University of California campus six miles south of Del Mar.

Automobile Circulation

The major auto carrier in the Del Mar area is Interstate 5. This north-south freeway serves a continuous link between San Diego and the Canadian border, and closely parallels Del Mar's eastern border. Three turnoffs on Interstate 5 serve the City: Carmel Valley Road at the south end of town, Del Mar Heights Road near the center of the community, and Via de la Valle at the north end.

The major north-south traffic carrier within the City is Camino del Mar (old Highway 101). This coastal roadway extends from UC San Diego (six miles south of Del Mar) through Del Mar and north 12 miles to the City of Oceanside.

Average daily traffic on all of the above transportation routes is expected to increase significantly if the existing circulation network continues in its present form.

Interstate 5 - Traffic volumes on Interstate 5 have increased at an accelerated pace since its opening in 1966. The annual increase in vehicle trips per day between 1972 and 1973 was over 14 percent, and this rate is expected to continue, barring major gasoline shortages or successful mass transit systems, and be nearing its eight lane capacity by 1995.

Carmel Valley Road - Traffic volume on the two lane Carmel Valley Road between Interstate 5 and Camino del Mar was in excess of 4000 average daily trips in 1973. Increasing development adjacent to this road along with the accelerating usage of the Torrey Pines State Beach and Park area by non-residents is likely to create additional traffic volume, accident rates and congestion, and substantially reduce travel speeds. The proximity of this road to the Penasquitos Lagoon is a limiting factor on potential future road widening and street improvements.

Camino del Mar - This major north-south street is clearly the focus of vehicular circulation within the community. The amount of traffic on Camino del Mar decreased significantly in 1966 following the completion of Interstate 5 (which allowed major north-south traffic to bypass the community), but began a steady climb back toward the previous volumes due to increasing development along the north county coast. An origin-destination study completed by the City of Del Mar in 1973 indicated that over 40 percent of the traffic on Camino del Mar was for through trips.

Del Mar Heights Road - Del Mar Heights Road served as the most heavily used access road between Interstate 5 and Del Mar in 1974, with traffic volume closer to the freeway being far greater than that near Camino del Mar. The proposed neighborhood shopping center on Mango Drive near Interstate 5, along with increasing residential development in close proximity to Del Mar Heights Road, is likely to substantially increase traffic volumes in the future.

Via de la Valle/Turf Road/Jimmy Durante Boulevard - Via de la Valle serves as a major access corridor between southern Solana Beach, the northern edge of Del Mar and Interstate 5. The two lane design handled over 3000 vehicles per day in 1973 and is expected to carry three times that amount by 1995. This increase would be created by development allowed by San Diego County land use plans.

Turf Road and Jimmy Durante Boulevard connect identical points in a nearly parallel fashion and provide a northerly entrance and exit between Interstate 5 and the Del Mar community. Visitors to the Del Mar Race Track and Fairgrounds congest these roads severely during the summer months, and create the need for special policing at the five points intersection formed by Jimmy Durante, Turf Road, Via de la Valle and Stevens Road.

Local Streets - Streets other than those listed above fall into either the "collector" or "neighborhood" category. Collector streets include Stratford Court, Coast Boulevard, 15th Street and Crest Road, and generally carry traffic volumes between major and neighborhood streets while principally serving local traffic.

Nearly all of the streets serving internal circulation have an informal "country road" feeling due to the lack of sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, and the growth of private landscaping along the edges of the pavement. This aspect of street design is felt by the community to be a positive aesthetic feature worthy of preservation.

Scenic Roadways

There are six principal roadways within Del Mar which serve as scenic corridors.

1.

Camino del Mar. Both north and south bound travelers have an opportunity to view the ocean and the coastline at numerous localities.

2.

Turf Road. Persons proceeding south along this road are able to view the San Dieguito River Valley area at close range as well as Crest Canyon and the rugged north bluffs and slopes of the Del Mar hills in the distance.

3.

Crest Road. This north-south access road along Del Mar's eastern boundary provides road users with views of Crest Canyon and the inland San Dieguito River Basin.

4.

Carmel Valley Road. This road connects Camino del Mar with Interstate 5 and parallels the northern edge of the Los Penasquitos Lagoon.

5.

Coast Boulevard. This ocean front road between 15th and 17th Streets provides panoramic vistas of the ocean.

6.

Del Mar Heights Road. This road provides travelers entering Del Mar with a northerly view down Crest Canyon to the San Dieguito River Valley and panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean.

Bicycle Activity

Major bicycle traffic occurs along Camino del Mar. This includes primarily through traffic along the coastal communities. The use of bicycles within the community accelerated in the early 1970's, and as of 1974 no designated bikeways or trails were available within Del Mar; bicyclists were obliged to use existing street rights-of-way, creating serious conflicts with the automobile.

Pedestrian Circulation

Major pedestrian circulation within Del Mar occurs along existing street rights-of-way. With the exception of those streets in the downtown area that have sidewalks, pedestrian movement is along, or on the edge of, paved streets.

A few "ad hoc" pedestrian trails exist within the hill areas of Del Mar. Many of these trails are located along unimproved city right-of-way. Along the beach bluff south of 11th Street, walkways exist on both sides of the railroad right-of-way. These receive extensive use at all seasons.

Noise

Noise is defined as unwanted sound and is becoming an increasingly severe nuisance and damaging pollutant in the environment.

Noise is a pollutant which mainly affects the mind and senses. The damage noise inflicts can range from loss of concentration to loss of hearing, and the extent of damage depends upon the intensity of the noise and the length of exposure. It has been found that exposure to noise of 90 decibels for eight hours or 115 decibels for a quarter hour will produce hearing damage. Noise causes physiological stress in people beginning at 65 decibels and becomes pronounced at 80 to 85 decibels. About a quarter of the population suffer sleep disturbance if noise levels exceed 45 decibels.

The major source of community noise in Del Mar is caused by train movement and motorized road vehicles, i.e., motorcycles, trucks, and automobiles.

The amount of noise generated by trains as well as by vehicles on Camino del Mar has been the subject of investigation, and noise levels have been established in relation to distance from the source and as a function of time. While noise from the railroad is periodic, the noise from Camino del Mar is relatively constant. The 65 decibel contours were mapped for the sake of clarity in interpretation of noise exposure and because 65 decibels is the maximum level considered compatible with unrestricted residential usage.