San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
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Governor hands S.D. $9 million for new buses. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080611/news_1m11gov.html
Transit center amenities now facing demolition. June 7, 2008. EL CAJON: Bus and trolley riders who pass through the busy El Cajon Transit Center will soon lose access to the restrooms, concession stand and Greyhound Bus Lines office at the Marshall Avenue hub. That's because the Metropolitan Transit System plans to demolish the building that houses those services in the next several months. There are no immediate plans to rebuild, though the agency's goal is to attract commercial or residential development there. The move troubles some El Cajon city officials, who are worried about the effect on commuters and how the station will look once the building is gone. Those who will feel the change most acutely are the the 8,000 or so people who use the station every day. When the building is leveled, public restrooms will no longer be available. Portable restrooms will be added for employees. Security officers will still be stationed at the site, but without a desk. And Greyhound's ticket office will probably move.MTS officials say the building is beset by structural problems and vandalism. Immediate fixes – replacing the roof, plumbing and electrical wiring and the heating-and-air-conditioning system – would cost nearly $300,000, and the agency doesn't want to invest in a building it will eventually raze. The MTS hopes to spark developer interest in the property, which is about 7 acres, but has no proposals yet. The cost to demolish the building is expected to be about $250,000, said Peter Tereschuck, MTS president and general manager. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080607/news_lz1cz7region.html
2 transit districts to increase fares as fuel costs rise. Trolley, bus, rail riders all affected. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080607/news_1m7fares.html
Proposed transit-fare hikes irk commuters, panelists. Complaints vented at SANDAG hearing. Coaster train commuters complained that they would have to pay $1 each way, or $40 a month, on the Sorrento Valley Coaster Connection – shuttles that they now ride for free between the Sorrento Valley station and employment centers. Because most of the funding to operate the shuttle at no charge is drying up, SANDAG is proposing the fare. Combined with a proposed increase of $14 for a monthly Coaster pass, the boosts in train and shuttle fares could add $54 a month to some riders' commutes. “It's going to drive people back to their cars,” said Mike Winter of Oceanside, who works in Sorrento Valley. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080531/news_1mc31fares.html
