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Blue Line (San Diego Trolley)

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Blue Line
Blue Line train at E Street station
Overview
Other name(s)UC San Diego Blue Line
OwnerSan Diego Metropolitan Transit System
LocaleSan Diego, California
Termini
Stations32
Websitesdmts.com
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSan Diego Trolley
Route number510 (in internal documents only)[1][2]
Operator(s)San Diego Trolley, Inc.
Rolling stock3 car trains
Daily ridership77,000 (approx FY 2024)[3]
Ridership24,389,986 (FY 2024)[3]
History
OpenedJuly 19, 1981; 43 years ago (1981-07-19)[4]
Technical
Line length26.3 mi (42.3 km)[5][6]
Number of tracks2
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC
Operating speed19 mph (31 km/h) (average)[Note 1]
55 mph (89 km/h) (max)
Route map
Map Blue Line highlighted in blue
Legend
 UTC
Executive Drive
UC San Diego Health La Jolla
I-5 (1961).svg I-5
 UC San Diego Central Campus
VA Medical Center
Nobel Drive
I-5 (1961).svg I-5
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Coaster
to Oceanside
 Balboa Avenue
Clairemont Drive
Tecolote Road
Green Line to El Cajon
I-8 (1961).svg I-8
 Old Town
Amtrak San Diego International Airport (via Old Town Transit Center)
I-5 (1961).svg I-5
 Washington Street
Middletown
San Diego International Airport (via Middletown station (San Diego Trolley))
County Center/Little Italy
Santa Fe Depot
Amtrak
Green Line
 America Plaza
San Diego International Airport (via America Plaza station)
 Columbia Street
closed
1991
Orange Line
 Civic Center
Fifth Avenue
San Diego Square
closed
1986
 City College
San Diego International Airport (via City College station (San Diego))
Park & Market
Green Line
 12th & Imperial
Storage &
Maintenance Yard
│
Orange Line
to El Cajon
 Barrio Logan
California 75.svg SR 75
 Harborside
Pacific Fleet
8th Street
I-5 (1961).svg I-5
 24th Street
California 54.svg SR 54
 E Street
H Street
Palomar Street
Palm Avenue
Iris Avenue
California 905.svg SR 905
 Beyer Blvd.
I-805 (1961).svg I-805
 San Ysidro
Multiple
services
Handicapped/disabled access
All stations
are accessible
This diagram:

The Blue Line (officially the UC San Diego Blue Line for sponsorship purposes) is a 26.3-mile (42.3 km)[5][6] light rail line in the San Diego Trolley system, operated by San Diego Trolley, Inc., an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).[5] With an end-to-end travel time of one hour and twenty-three minutes, it operates between UTC Transit Center and San Ysidro Transit Center, the latter of which is at the Mexico–United States border directly adjacent to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, facilitating easy connections across the border.[7] The line serves La Jolla, downtown San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, and San Ysidro[8] and is the system's longest line.

The Blue Line is one of five lines in the trolley system, along with the Green Line, Orange Line, Copper Line, and heritage railway Silver Line.[5] Among them, the Blue Line has the highest ridership, transporting 24,389,986 total riders, or 75,160 per day, in fiscal year 2024.[3] Its sponsored name is due to a $30 million naming rights deal with UC San Diego Health.[9] An extension to its namesake campus of the University of California, San Diego, as well as nine other stations, opened to revenue service on November 21, 2021.[10][11]

History

[edit]

The initial line in the San Diego Trolley system, the Blue Line first opened between Centre City San Diego and San Ysidro on July 26, 1981,[4][12] at a cost of $86 million (equivalent to $288 million in 2023), using the existing tracks of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, which the Metropolitan Transit Development Board had purchased from Southern Pacific on August 20, 1979, for $18.1 million (equivalent to $76 million in 2023).[13]

In 1986, the line was named the South Line to differentiate it from the new East Line to Euclid Avenue, which later became the Orange Line. On July 2, 1992, the line was extended north from downtown with the opening of County Center/Little Italy station.[12] It was renamed the North-South Line when the Old Town extension opened on June 16, 1996.[12] The North-South Line was renamed the Blue Line in 1997,[4] with the opening of the extension to Mission San Diego on November 23, 1997.[12]

When the Green Line was brought into service in 2005, the Blue Line was cut back to Old Town Transit Center. At rush hours, however, some Blue Line trains continued onto Qualcomm Stadium; and from Qualcomm Stadium onto San Ysidro. On September 3, 2006, the rush hour service Blue line trains were discontinued entirely, due to duplication of service with Green Line service. All Blue Line trains then terminated at Old Town. Rush hour Blue Line trains operated from San Ysidro to America Plaza with some serving the Bayside.

Blue Line service also experienced some change in the stations served. The San Diego Square station located between 7th and 8th Avenues in downtown closed in 1986 due to low ridership and its close proximity to Fifth Avenue station. Later that year, E Street station in Chula Vista opened in October 1986,[12] about five years after service already operated along the tracks served. At the same time, the Centre City station on C Street, between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue, was renamed Fifth Avenue station. Fenton Parkway station was an 'infill' station that opened in 2000; however, it, like the rest of the stations on the route to Mission San Diego, is now only served by the Green Line.

2012 realignment

[edit]

During a system redesign which took effect on September 2, 2012, Blue Line service between America Plaza and Old Town was discontinued, making America Plaza the Blue Line's northern terminus.[14] Blue Line trains traveled between America Plaza to San Ysidro on a regular 15 minute frequency, with a 7+1⁄2 minute frequency during weekday rush hours.[14][15] Blue Line service to Old Town was reinstated once the Mid-Coast trolley extension to UC San Diego was completed.[16] UC San Diego Health paid $30 million to rename the route the UC San Diego Blue Line in 2015.[17]

Trolley Renewal Project

[edit]

To accommodate the new Siemens S70 models and allow for their use on the line, the Blue Line stations needed to undergo renovation, although this was done over a period of five years to prevent the disruption of operation of the trolley.[18] The project to renovate the stations, called the Trolley Renewal Project, began in fall 2010.[19][20] After beginning operation on the Green Line in 2011 and on the Orange Line in 2013, low-floor Siemens S70 LRVs began operation on the Blue Line on January 27, 2015.[21] Renovation of rail track and the final eleven Blue Line stations was completed in late 2015.[22][23]

Mid-Coast extension

[edit]

The Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project was an 10.9-mile (17.5 km)[6] extension of the Blue Line from the Old Town Transit Center north to La Jolla Village, University of California, San Diego and University City.[24][25] Ridership is projected at 34,700 trips in 2030.[26] The extension primarily follows the right-of-way of the Coaster and Interstate 5, with an elevated deviation around the UCSD area. MTS estimated construction costs of $2.1 billion.[26] An aim of the extension is to decrease demand for parking on the UCSD campus while providing direct trolley access to Westfield UTC, a popular shopping mall. The existing SuperLoop BRT Shuttle (Routes 201/202) provides transit in and around the UTC area from the nearby trolley stations.[27] Testing of the line began in June 2021,[28] and it opened to revenue service on November 21, 2021,[11] although alternate weekday and weekend late night Blue Line trips still short turn at America Plaza.[29][30]

The Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project was done in conjunction with the North Coast Corridor project, which upgrades the LOSSAN Corridor further to the north. Both projects build upon the original right-of-way of the Surf Line, which was built in the 1880s as the original railway from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Stations

[edit]
See also: List of San Diego Trolley stations
Station Location Connections[31]
UTC University City, San Diego
Executive Drive Bus transport MTS: Rapid 204, Rapid 237, 921A, 979
UC San Diego Health La Jolla
  • Bus transport UC San Diego Triton Transit: Health Campus Connector, Regents Express
  • Bus interchange FlixBus UC San Diego – La Jolla
UC San Diego Central Campus La Jolla, San Diego
  • Bus transport MTS: 985
  • Bus transport UC San Diego Triton Transit: Inside Loop, Outside Loop, Regents Express
VA Medical Center
Nobel Drive
Balboa Avenue Bay Park, San Diego
  • Bus transport MTS: 8, 27, 43
  • Car parking Park and ride: 227 spaces
Clairemont Drive Bus transport MTS: 105
Tecolote Road Morena, San Diego Car parking Park and ride: 279 spaces
Old Town Old Town, San Diego
Washington Street Mission Hills, San Diego
Middletown Middletown, San Diego
County Center/Little Italy Little Italy, San Diego  Green Line
Santa Fe Depot[a] Core, San Diego
America Plaza[b]
Civic Center  Orange Line  Silver Line
Fifth Avenue
City College East Village, San Diego
Park & Market
12th & Imperial[c]
Barrio Logan[d] Logan Heights, San Diego
Harborside
Pacific Fleet Naval Base San Diego
8th Street National City
24th Street
  • Bus transport MTS: 13, 961, 967
  • Car parking Park and ride: 156 spaces
E Street Chula Vista
H Street
  • Bus transport MTS: 701, 709
  • Car parking Park and ride: 295 spaces
Palomar Street
  • Bus transport MTS: 701, 704, 712
  • Car parking Park and ride: 305 spaces
Palm Avenue Palm City, San Diego
  • Bus transport MTS: 932, 933, 934
  • Car parking Park and ride: 499 spaces
Iris Avenue Otay Mesa West, San Diego
Beyer Blvd. San Ysidro, San Diego
  • Bus transport MTS: 906, 907
  • Car parking Park and ride: 131 spaces
San Ysidro Bus transport MTS: 906, 907
  1. ^ Starting point for one early-morning northbound trolley on weekends.[33][34]
  2. ^ Northbound terminus for approximately half of the Blue Line trains.[33][34]
  3. ^ Starting point for two early-morning northbound trolleys, and terminus for two southbound late-night trolleys.[33][34]
  4. ^ Starting point for 5 early-morning southbound trolleys on weekdays, and three early-morning southbound trolleys on weekends.[33][34]

Future

[edit]

Cross-Border Trolley (proposed)

[edit]
Cross-Border Trolley
Legend
Blue Line
to UTC
 San Ysidro
Greyhound Lines
U.S.A.
Mexico
border
 Tijuana Terminal
Key
current Blue Line
proposed extension
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
Source[35]
Main article: San Ysidro Transit Center § Future

Although the current Blue Line ends at San Ysidro Transit Center, just north of the Mexico–United States border, future plans for the Blue Line to continue into Tijuana are awaiting approval. If it is to be made, the Blue Line would be extended 1 or 1.5 miles (1.6 or 2.4 km)[36][37] on elevated trackage[38] into a new Tijuana station.[39] This proposal for a "Cross-Border Trolley", supported by SANDAG[40] and officials in Baja California,[41] could take eight years to complete.[42]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Calculated from the following: Route length (26.3 miles)[6] divided by scheduled travel time (83 minutes).[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Appendix P: Travel and Tourism" (PDF). San Diego Association of Governments. Retrieved June 7, 2024. Trolley Route 510 (UC San Diego Blue Line): San Ysidro to University City
  2. ^ "Appendix A: Transportation Projects, Programs, and Phasing" (PDF). San Diego Association of Governments. p. 119. Retrieved June 7, 2024. LRT 510 Blue Line (San Ysidro to UTC)
  3. ^ a b c "Annual Service Performance Report" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "MTS Historical Timeline". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d "San Diego Trolley, Inc" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. February 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2021 – via sdmts.com/about-mts.
  6. ^ a b c d "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project" (PDF). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2021 – via U.S. Department of Transportation.
  7. ^ a b "Trolley map & timetable" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  8. ^ "SDMTS – Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  9. ^ "San Diego MTS teams with UC San Diego to rename Blue Line Trolley". Metro Magazine. July 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  10. ^ Luczak, Marybeth (June 30, 2021). "San Diego's Mid-Coast Trolley Extension Project Advances". Railway Age. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "It's finally here: Riders take first trips on trolley extension with 9 new stops". Fox 5 San Diego. San Diego. November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d e Ristine, Jeff (July 23, 2006). "After 25 years, the trolley keeps on moving". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  13. ^ "San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Fact Sheet" (PDF). April 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "SDMTS Service Changes, September 2012". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. September 2, 2012. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  15. ^ "San Diego's Green Line Will Finally Arrive Downtown In September". KPBS. April 30, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  16. ^ "Mid-Coast Trolley". San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  17. ^ UCSD Guardian Editorial Board (September 30, 2015). "Crossing the Blue Line". The Guardian. University of California, San Diego. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  18. ^ "MTS To Purchase 57 New Light Rail Vehicles". KGTV (10 News). September 24, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  19. ^ Robert J. Hawkins (September 22, 2010). "Construction Begins To Upgrade SD Trolley - $620M Project To Include New Track, Stations Along Blue, Orange Lines". KGTV ABC10 San Diego. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  20. ^ "Several Blue Line trolley stops to close this weekend". The San Diego Union Tribune. October 27, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  21. ^ "Blue Line Upgraded with a New Fleet of Low-Floor Trolley Cars". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  22. ^ "Trolley Renewal". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016 – via sdmts.com/inside-mts/current-projects.
  23. ^ "San Diego Trolley Renewal Project Fact Sheet" (pdf). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) & San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). September 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016 – via keepsandiegomoving.com/Trolley/trolley-newsroom-factsheet.aspx.
  24. ^ "MTS Moves! Summer 2010 (MTS Newsletter)" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Summer 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  25. ^ "Mid Coast Trolley Extension Map" (pdf). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. April 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  27. ^ "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). May 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  28. ^ Jennewein, Chris (June 29, 2021). "First MTS Trolley Enters New Tecolote Road Station as Testing Begins on Blue Line Extension". Times of San Diego. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  29. ^ "November 2021 Service Changes | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". www.sdmts.com. October 26, 2021. Service frequency north of America Plaza will be every 15 minutes, seven days/week, with a span of service similar to current. Frequency south of America Plaza will remain at every 7.5 minutes on weekdays.
  30. ^ "Trolley" (PDF). www.sdmts.com. November 21, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  31. ^ "San Diego Regional Transit Map" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. November 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  32. ^ "Regional Transit Map" (PDF) (Map). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. November 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d "Trolley Timetable" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. September 29, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  34. ^ a b c d "UC San Diego Blue Line Schedule | Trolley – MTS | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". www.sdmts.com. San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "San Diego-Tijuana Cross-Border Trolley Presentation" (PDF). Cordoba Corporation. November 7, 2023. p. 9. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  36. ^ "SANDAG – Innovative Connector Concepts". www.sandag.org. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  37. ^ "Three transportation projects, including a trolley extension into Tijuana, pitched to public Sunday". The San Diego Union-Tribune. October 10, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  38. ^ Dibble, Sandra (July 26, 2022). "Could an Elevated Trolley be the Answer to Long Border Wait Times?". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  39. ^ "Trolley to Tijuana: Extending San Diego's Blue Line | SPUR". www.spur.org. November 7, 2023.
  40. ^ Berjan, Sarah (August 3, 2022). "SANDAG supports proposal that extends San Diego's Blue Line Trolley into Tijuana". Chula Vista Today. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  41. ^ Saldaña, Jorge (May 8, 2020). "Officials Propose Cross-Border Trolley". MEXICONOW. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  42. ^ "Goodbye to traffic and hours in line! Tijuana-San Diego trolley should be ready in 8 years". SanDiegoRed. December 15, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
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