San Diego MTS Trolley major route changes

[Shortline Bus]

Maybe our Southern Calif regular Turbo can reply. I visit 1-2 a year my mom and sister(they relocated from Brooklyn a while back)in San Diego and I use their trolley. Just read that in Sept. they made the biggest changes in the San Diego MTS trolley aka light rail 30-plus year history.

 

The biggest change is that the newest line the Green line which runs to the Eastern SD area suburban

towns of Santee and El Cajon being extended for 1st time to Downtown San Diego. While the system busiest line the Blue Line which runs between San Ysdiro(border with Tijuana, Mexico)and Old Town has been cut back to American Plaza. While the Orange line has been cut back as well to the Santa Fe/San Diego Amtrak station.

The changes occured because most of the MTS SD Trolley stations in the system has been upgraded as new light rail cars with low floors (think NJT's Hudson-Bergen Line)will replace about 60% of the fleet in which some cars have been in service for 30 years.

 

Overall I agree with most of the changes. Only one i disagree with is the shorting of the Blue Line to American Plaza. Many from South SD County work in the SD Airport/Old Town area. Thus IMO the MTS should have still run the Blue to Old Town. Plus the Green Line does not serve the main Downtown SD coordior and only to the Gaslamp district of Outer Downtown SD.

 

Any reactions?

 

 

 

[Turbo19]

In regard to the shortning of the Blue Line it seems as they want to force the Green Line on passengers, which seems good for Green Line ridership, but possibly detrimental to Blue Line ridership, as it forces double backing on passengers. However if the frequencies are fair, perhaps it won't be as bad. At the very worst, people would stop driving and perhaps move to bus routes.

[Shortline Bus]

In regard to the shortning of the Blue Line it seems as they want to force the Green Line on passengers, which seems good for Green Line ridership, but possibly detrimental to Blue Line ridership, as it forces double backing on passengers. However if the frequencies are fair, perhaps it won't be as bad. At the very worst, people would stop driving and perhaps move to bus routes.

 

 

 

Good point. Granted the Blue line is the MTS system longest and busiest route, the biggest negative is these 2 issues. 1)You have to cross a busy street to transfer between American Plaza and Santa Fe even though it's only a 1 block walk. 2)The main part of Downtown San Diego including the business/government office areas and the Horton Plaza shopping mall loses a 1-seat ride to Old Town and the industrial area by SD airport.

 

An alternative idea IMO could had been extend the Orange line to Old Town.