By Dave Fidlin

MTS Transit Store leaves its longtime perch

For decades, it has been the go-to place for purchasing your fare tickets, obtaining route information, and for some members of the population, obtaining identification cards.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has maintained a retail store for three decades, but a confluence of recent circumstances prompted officials to make a move to East Village.

As of June 20, the Transit Store is now located within the MTS headquarters at 12th and Imperial avenues.

The recent change means fare-goers will no longer have the opportunity to visit MTS’ longtime retail space at Broadway and First Avenue to take care of their essential needs. That store, which had operated out of the same location for 21 years, closed June 17.

“This is something we’ve had in the works for a while,” MTS spokesperson Rob Schupp said in an interview with Downtown News. “We leased the site (on Broadway), and for the last year we started to look at alternatives. It made a lot of sense to move the store.”

In a statement, Paul Jablonski, MTS chief executive officer, said the relocation to 12th and Imperial avenues was a logical one after reviewing such details are riders’ patterns, which have shifted as real estate development in and near the city’s Downtown has evolved.

“This new location, at our busiest Transit Center, is perfect for our customers,” Jablonski said in the statement. “All three trolley lines, multiple MTS bus routes, Greyhound and the MTS headquarters are all operating at 12th and Imperial, making this new location very convenient for customers.”

Jablonski said MTS officials put great care in selecting a new location for The Transit Store since customers frequently use it.

“To many of our passengers and visitors, The Transit Store is the face of MTS,” Jablonski said in the statement.

MTS, which operates its 95 bus routes — and three trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway — has been embarking on a vigorous promotional campaign to let customers know of the change.

Schupp said there is great excitement within MTS leadership of the changes, though he is quick to point out it marks a pivotal moment in the organization’s history.

Prior to its 21-year presence at Broadway and First Avenue, Schupp said The Transit Store operated out of another nearby storefront space in the heart of Downtown in its first nine years in existence.

“It’s a spot that has worked well for a lot of our customers,” Schupp said of the Broadway area, pointing to the many nearby attractions that draw residents and visitors alike.

The new retail facility gives MTS an opportunity to modernize its storefront presence, Schupp said, and add features — some being rolled out now, others in the immediate future — that are designed to meet consumers’ expectations.

The enhancements include an interactive kiosk within the store to give customers up-to-date route information. Schupp said the kiosk reflects a growing desire within the organization to change all route message boards throughout San Diego to a digital format.

“Whenever we have to make a change [in a route], we’ve had to print up new signs, and that’s inefficient,” he said.

The new retail space has more square footage than the previous location, which has given MTS staffers the opportunity to improve operations.

Case in point: Clerk stations have a series of new enhancements that are designed to speed up service.

While changes are bountiful, Schupp said the core of The Transit Store’s menu of services remains the same.

In addition to selling tickets for bus, trolley and Coaster routes, the site will continue producing identification cards for youth, seniors and persons who are disabled and on Medicare.

The Transit Store also will continue offering timetables of all MTS routes and is expected to remain a popular hub for tourist information.

This new storefront is not the only recent notable moment in MTS’ historical timeline. When ridership numbers were tallied last year, officials learned a record was set, as 96.7 million riders used at least one of the organization’s multiple modes of transportation in 2015.

On average, MTS offers more than 300,000 passenger trips during weekdays on the bus and trolley lines.

Schupp described the June 20 relocation as a soft grand opening, as some of the usual kinks associated with a move of this magnitude are still being worked out.

A customer appreciation event, which will officially commemorate the move and venue change, is slated for July 8 and will include a number of giveaways.

The new Transit Store location operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. It is closed weekends and most holidays. For more on MTS, visit sdmts.com.

—Dave Fidlin is a freelance journalist with a special affinity for San Diego and its people. Contact him at [email protected].