University City is home to a thriving job center, one of the nation’s most premiere universities, and a variety of housing options for the region’s professionals, seniors and families. Our community is a wonderful example of how a mixed-use community should look and feel.
Key to the success of such a community is fast, clean and reliable transit. During my time on the City Council, we’ve initiated a number of new transportation projects in UC, including expansion of MTS bus service and the widening of Genesee Avenue. While these improvements have improved traffic flow and enhanced the community’s public transit options, more must be done.
Next year, SANDAG, our regional transit agency, will launch a brand-new service for University City. The Super Loop is a circulator shuttle connecting residential, commercial and employment centers, offering residents and workers a fast and convenient way to navigate the community.
The Super Loop utilizes a fleet of 10 alternative-energy hybrid vehicles running on a 7.5-mile circuit connecting La Jolla Village Square, UCSD, Scripps Hospital and Westfield UTC with the residential and job centers along Nobel, Judicial, Executive and Genesee. The shuttles are smaller than traditional buses and ADA-compliant, with front and rear doors for quick and easy access. Priority traffic lanes and traffic signal priority will allow the vehicles to “jump the queue,” so to speak, allowing them to circulate more quickly.
Vehicles will run every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during off-peak hours. Fifteen stations are planned, located approximately every half-mile along the route, with stops at all major activity centers.
Your input is still needed on this important community service. Plans are under way for a community open house in July, at which representatives from SANDAG will present the proposed design and conceptual drawings for the shuttle stations and take community feedback. Current sketches show stations on slightly elevated platforms with shaded benches, electronic message boards and information kiosks.
If all goes according to plan, construction on the Super Loop will begin early next year, with a scheduled opening in late 2008. I lobbied hard to secure funding for this project from TransNet, the half-cent sales tax extension approved by 67 percent of county voters in 2004. Recognizing the value of the project, SANDAG set aside $40 million for the Super Loop.
After more than two years of planning, we are closer than ever to making the Super Loop project a reality. My thanks to the team at SANDAG, the University City Planning Group and every member of the community who took time to comment on this exciting project.
For more information on the July open house, please sign up for my e-mail newsletter or check the La Jolla Village News for the date and time.
” District 1 City Councilman and Council President Scott Peters contributes a monthly Council Corner column highlighting City Hall happenings pertinent to the residents of University City.