By Kris Michell
Downtown San Diego is the bustling urban center of the eighth largest city in the nation. It is also a neighborhood in which 34,000 people reside and 80,000 people work. Revitalization efforts have succeeded in making our urban core communities — from East Village to the Civic Core and Cortez Hill to the Marina District — attractive places to live, work and play.
At the Downtown Partnership, we strive to create a distinct, world-class urban destination that captures the essence of San Diego and appeals to locals and visitors alike. We have certainly come a long way and it has been a privilege to watch Downtown’s transformation, but we’re not done yet.
To support continued development in our Downtown neighborhoods, the thousands of San Diegans who spend time here need improved, efficient and diverse transportation options. That’s why the Downtown San Diego Partnership has endorsed Measure A. This measure will provide the level of investment our city needs to repair crumbling infrastructure and make our community more accessible.
The Downtown Partnership supports Measure A because it will result in more reliable choices for getting around our region, while also alleviating congestion and gridlock. If approved, Measure A will provide tangible quality-of-life improvements by shortening commute times, improving and extending trolley lines, increasing the frequency of bus routes and optimizing traffic light synchronization.
In addition to investing in public transit and roadway improvements, Measure A will preserve open space, protect watersheds and natural habitats, and create thousands of construction jobs in the San Diego region.
It’s our turn to write the next chapter in San Diego’s history.
We hope you will join the Downtown San Diego Partnership in voting “yes” on Measure A, as we believe it’s our best option to move the region forward in a way that considers the environment, attracts jobs, and improves our quality of life in Downtown and throughout our region.
—Kris Michell is the president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a member-based nonprofit organization that serves as the leading advocate for the revitalization and economic health of Downtown. To learn more about the Downtown Partnership and the Clean & Safe program, visit www.downtownsandiego.org.
