Draft plans focus on immediate improvements, look at building capacity on freeway system
San Diego – After months of public participation to develop a shared vision for transit in San Diego, yesterday the Metropolitan Transit System’s Board of Directors was presented with the first look at two draft expenditure plan scenarios for a local half-cent, 50-year revenue measure. MTS staff will now present the draft plans to the general public, industry trade groups and other stakeholders for further input.
“Getting to this point has been an exciting process,” said MTS Board Chair and San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. “San Diego residents have really stepped up in a big way, providing us with vital information about what they’d like to see for the future of transit in San Diego. That information is reflected these draft expenditure plan scenarios. We look forward to the public and our board’s continued involvement over the next few months to help us decide on a final plan to put before voters in November 2020.”
“Participants in the public process made it clear they wanted investments in the transit system that expands and enhances the current system to provide a viable alternative to the car,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. “The scenarios aim to make a quick turnaround on some key improvements, better connect residential communities to job and education centers, and add mobility options in areas traditionally underserved by transit.”
A comprehensive list of the items included in the draft expenditure plan can be accessed at ElevateSD2020.com.
Highlights include:
- Trolley to the Airport (rendering below)
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- Extend Service Hours
- Improve Safety & Security
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- More Rapid Bus Routes (rendering of El Cajon Blvd. & 30th Street above)
- Bus Service Increases – Frequency, span, 24-hr. service, new local routes
- New Freeway Transit Connections
- I-5 Transit Lane & Express Service (South Bay – Sorrento Valley)
- I-805 Transit Lanes & Express services (South Bay to Sorrento/UTC)
- SR-56 Transit Lane & Express Services (Sabre Springs-Carmel Valley-UTC)
- SR-52 Transit Lane & Express Services (El Cajon – Santee-Kearny Mesa-UTC; rendering of SR 52 below)
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- Sorrento Valley Skyway
- Free Fares for Youth (18 & Under)
Public participation in the development of the draft expenditure plan included more than 6,500 responses to a Vision Builder public survey, 2,300 people at community events, and hundreds involved in working groups and workshops. MTS will take the draft plans back out for public comments over the next few months. The MTS Board is expected to make a decision on a final expenditure plan in April 2020. Information on all projects, outreach results and commenting opportunities can be found at ElevateSD2020.com.
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of the county. In FY 2018, MTS served nearly 86 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
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