Councilmember Steve Goble (El Cajon) will continue as vice chair of transit agency
San Diego – Today, in a unanimous vote, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Board of Directors re-elected San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn as chairperson and El Cajon City Councilmember Steve Goble as vice chairperson. Both will serve two-year terms running through December 2027.
Since 2020, Councilmember Whitburn has represented San Diego City Council District 3, which includes neighborhoods in Downtown, Middletown, Mission Valley, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, Balboa Park and more. The councilmember was first appointed as alternate member to the Board of Directors in 2021. In January 2023, he was appointed as a primary member and was simultaneously elected as the Board’s vice chairperson. Five months later, he was elected as the MTS Board Chair.
“We’ve made meaningful progress in strengthening transit safety, expanding access, and delivering cleaner, more sustainable transportation options for our region,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Chair and San Diego City Councilmember. “I’m honored by the Board’s confidence and look forward to continuing our work to make transit an even more reliable and welcoming choice for all San Diegans.”
Councilmember Whitburn has lived and served in the communities of District 3 for two decades. His leadership experience with organizations such as the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society reflects his long-standing commitment to helping San Diegans thrive. That same dedication now guides his work on the MTS Board as he leads efforts to direct policies that create a safer, more accessible, and more sustainable transit system for San Diego residents.
Councilmember Goble has served on El Cajon City Council since 2016, representing the city’s third district. He was first appointed to the MTS Board of Directors in 2017. In May 2023, Councilmember Goble was elected as the MTS Board Vice Chair.
“MTS has achieved the second-highest ridership recovery among major U.S. transit agencies,” said Steve Goble, MTS Board Vice Chair and El Cajon City Councilmember. “Our commitment to safety and cleanliness has truly paid off. I’m proud to work alongside such a dedicated team that continues to earn national recognition for innovation, safety, and for building a transit system that benefits everyone across our region.”
Councilmember Goble brings a wealth of leadership experience from both the private and nonprofit sectors, including roles with the Salvation Army, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and SDSU’s College of Business.
Under Councilmember Whitburn’s and Councilmember Goble’s leadership, the transit agency has accomplished:
- Surpassed 80 million passenger trips for the first time since the pandemic;
- Rolled out a comprehensive security initiative that resulted in a 24% reduction in crime;
- The completion and groundbreaking of transit-oriented developments with hundreds of new homes;
- Launched the region’s first electric Rapid service between Otay Mesa and Imperial Beach;
- Launched service on the Copper Line - East County Connector improving connections and reliability for East County riders;
- Launched Route 910 Overnight Express between San Ysidro and downtown San Diego;
- Commissioned a customer satisfaction survey that showed MTS continues to exceed public transportation industry benchmarks in several key areas of service including on-time performance, customer satisfaction, community value and safety.
The MTS Board of Directors is made up of 15 local elected officials – four from the City of San Diego, two from Chula Vista, and one each from the County of San Diego, and the cities of Poway, Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City, Lemon Grove, Coronado, and Imperial Beach.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 92 bus routes and four Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday more than 250,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2025, MTS served more than 81 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
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