After 25 years of operation and 18 months of research and planning, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) will implement the first of three updates to San Diego’s bus routes on Monday, June 11.
The June changes and discontinuations will take effect primarily in the beach communities and are designed to increase efficiency and ridership by streamlining routes and offering more frequent departures. The beefed up beach service was timed to coincide with the summer season and will be encouraged through the use of promotions, such as coupons for Belmont Park’s Giant Dipper Roller Coaster and The Plunge. Additional route changes will follow in September 2006 and January 2007.
According to Mark Thomsen, senior transportation planner, this is this first comprehensive planning effort in MTS history, and one necessitated by population, residential and job shifts.
“The city has grown up around us,” Thomsen said, adding that the changes should draw 14,000 new riders, six for every one that MTS loses.
He emphasized that the changes are meant to encourage new riders to leave their cars at home by making the bus an easier and faster experience.
“It’s a natural growth area that we want to serve better,” Thomsen said.
But all has not been smooth sailing for MTS, largely because the plan targets a wide demographic of new riders who will use the bus as an alternative at the expense of` riders who have no transportation alternatives.
Of the 150,000 people who ride the bus or trolley for their morning and evening commutes, an estimated 70 percent depend on MTS as their only means of transportation, said Denis Desmond, senior transportation planner. He added that all cuts were equity-based and only routes that could not double the $1.70 subsidy per passenger were considered.
“It’s a real balance,” Desmond said of MTS’s dual role as a public service and a business.
Despite discontinuation of some service, the restructuring comes without any increase in bus fare. In fact, Thomsen said MTS expects the changes to bring in a few million in additional revenue and roughly $3 million in savings.
MTS currently has an operating deficit, meaning that the agency has diverted funds for new buses and the like to cover basic costs. With an increase in revenue, MTS will be able to expand their coverage by offering more express routes.
Thomsen said the changes are not cast in stone and that MTS will respond to problems as they arise. And though the June changes affect a much smaller geographic area than planned for September, their implementation will surely be watched closely for results and feedback.
To aid riders in the first wave of route modifications, MTS staff will be present at the Old Town Transit Center Thursday, June 8, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and at the Santee Transit Center Friday, June 9, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., to answer questions in person. Take One brochures with route changes are available on buses and trolleys and all information with downloadable maps can be seen online at www.sdcommute.com. Questions can also be directed to a trained service representative at (800) COMMUTE. An automated line with route-by-route information is available at (800) 266-6883 or (619) 685-4900.