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<\/a>\u201cThe MTS CIP is an important road map for planning and funding assets for San Diego\u2019s transit system, and having more than $100 million to allocate in CIP funds is very healthy for an agency our size,\u201d MTS CEO Paul Jablonski told San Diego Uptown News.<\/p>\n\u201cThis includes new trolleys and buses, transit facility upgrades, hundreds of bus benches and bus shelters, technology improvements and more,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMTS is committed to providing the best rider experience possible, and the CIP helps us achieve this goal,\u201d Jablonski added.<\/p>\n
Len Farello of North Park, who has regularly ridden MTS buses for years, said he likes recent service changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do like the new premium express 215,\u201d Farello said of the Rapid Bus that runs between Downtown and San Diego State University via Park Boulevard and El Cajon Boulevard. \u201cIt’s much more convenient and faster, and runs more often than the old 15. It makes getting from Downtown to North Park and beyond easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another North Park resident, Rob Steppke, rides public transportation daily. He said MTS works well, overall. But he added that some bus schedules, as well as transitions between MTS buses and other regional transportation modes, could be improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times, the MTS bus schedule doesn’t allow for the time-of-day traffic,\u201d Steppke said, citing as an example the No. 10 bus route, which runs from Old Town Transit Center through Hillcrest to North Park and on to City Heights, largely along University Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I take the 10 any time after 3:30 or 4 p.m., and I’m waiting for it at Park\u00a0(Boulevard) and University (Avenue), it will seldom be on time, sometimes as much as five or 10 minutes late,\u201d he said. \u201cThat schedule doesn’t take into account gridlock traffic coming through Hillcrest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steppke \u2014 chair of the North Park Maintenance Assessment District and a trainer for the County of San Diego \u2014 said those traffic-generated delays not accounted for in the MTS bus schedules can lead to serious issues for riders taking buses to get to places where they can transfer to other regional transportation modes, like the Metrolink commuter rail to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to use an Amtrak train to get to Oceanside to take the Metrolink, and you have to take the No. 235 (MTS) bus that leaves Downtown about 4:20 a.m.,\u201d he said. \u201cIf that bus is late for any reason \u2014 your entire plan of going to LA for the day is shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
A total of 2,950 rider surveys were collected by MTS between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. from March 16 to April 18, 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall satisfaction with services is high with 91 percent of riders saying they are either very satisfied or satisfied with both bus and trolley services provided by SDMTS,\u201d MTS said in a statement. \u201cSatisfaction with service coverage received the highest overall rating with 90 percent of riders awarding at least a satisfied rating. The ease of loading a Compass Card also received high scores from riders with a 90 percent satisfaction rating.\u201d<\/p>\n
MTS however indicated 2015 surveys showed \u201crider satisfaction with service frequency showed the steepest decline with 27 percent of riders indicating that they were not satisfied with how often the buses and trolley run, compared to 10 percent in 2013. Rider dissatisfaction was also 27 percent for the cost of a pass\/ticket, compared to 16 percent in the previous study. Riders are also less satisfied with the cleanliness of transit centers with 21 percent saying they are dissatisfied, up from 9 percent in 2013.\u201d<\/p>\n
MTS CIP projects receiving the most funding in FY 2017 are: Eight new low-floor trolleys, $31 million; 45 Compressed Natural Gas buses, $23 million; new transit facility (location to be determined), $7.1 million; new Courthouse Trolley Station on C Street between State and Union streets, $5.7 million; and 46 near-zero emission paratransit buses, $4.7 million.<\/p>\n
For more information on how you can use public transportation, go to\u00a0sdmts.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n