Tag Archives: San Diego MTS

service updates, Southern California

SoCal’s full weekend Amtrak and regional rail shutdown

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This upcoming weekend (Jan 11-12, 2025), Amtrak Surfliner will shut down completely to accommodate track construction in different counties. Additionally, Metrolink will suspend service on the Ventura County, Orange County, and Inland Empire-Orange County lines, which share tracks with Amtrak Surfliner along parts of the corridor. At the south end, Coaster service will also be suspended. Coast Starlight trains, which travel along the entire West Coast, will have service temporarily truncated at Emeryville.

No bus bridge will be provided by any agency for any segment. Although options are available on certain parts of the corridor, traveling longer distances will be difficult. Between San Diego and Los Angeles, intercity buses like Flixbus/Greyhound, or other providers are options. Along the Central Coast, Flixbus offers two trips, along with intercity buses serving LAX.

The Amtrak San Joaquins offer a connection between Northern and Southern California through the Central Valley. Buses connect with trains at Bakersfield to various parts of Southern California.

Local transit provides an alternative for shorter distances, generally within a county. Metro bus service is available at Amtrak and Metrolink stops north of Los Angeles in LA County. Metro Route 161 connects the Metro G Line’s Canoga Station with Thousand Oaks. The VCTC Hwy 101 bus runs from Thousand Oaks to Oxnard on Saturdays.

Metro Route 460 connects Downtown Los Angeles with Disneyland. Riverside Transit Agency’s Route 200 links San Bernardino, Riverside, and Disneyland. OCTA’s Route 90 runs parallel, though not adjacent, to Amtrak and Metrolink between Tustin and Capistrano Beach. NCTD’s bus route 101 also parallels Amtrak and Coaster between Oceanside and UCSD, with a transfer to the San Diego Trolley for Downtown San Diego. Weekend local transit, however, does not exist between Oceanside and Orange County.

Transit issues

Election 2024: Change in favor of public safety

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The outcome of last week’s election is disappointing on a national level. Although there seems to be a trend toward voting for conservatism, the results are mixed outside of the presidential race, including in California. On the state level, Prop 36, which would toughen penalties for drug and theft crimes, won with almost 69% of the votes. Economic progressive measures like Prop 5 (lowering voter threshold to approve new local taxes from 2/3 to 55%), Prop 32 (raising the minimum wage), and Prop 33 (expanding local rent control) were defeated. However, socially progressive measures like Prop 3 (ensuring the right to marriage) won overwhelmingly. On the local level, San Francisco voters chose a moderate for mayor. In the East Bay, a progressive mayor of Oakland and a progressive Alameda County District Attorney were both recalled. Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón was also recalled. Recall proponents blame those officeholders for being “soft on crime.”

I think voters in California are clearly pushing back against progressive politicians due to concerns about law and order following the pandemic. Downtown areas have not fully rebounded, and public transit ridership serving these areas has not yet been restored.

Since the start of the pandemic, homelessness and drug use on transit, particularly on the rail systems, have become much more visible. Initially, soon after the “stay at home” orders were issued, rail systems like BART continued running long trains despite a massive decline in ridership as a public health measure to promote social distancing. Many bus and rail systems slowed fare enforcement or even stopped fare collection to reduce interactions between transit employees and riders, thus reducing virus spread. Additionally, following the death of George Floyd, there has been a movement to discourage use of sworn police officers on transit. Over time, transit has become a “safe space” for anti-social activities, and elected officials have been slow to react, hurting downtown recoveries and transit revenues.

When I traveled to Southern California in 2022, I noticed a clear contrast between LA’s Metro Rail system and the San Diego Trolley. In Los Angeles, I saw more homeless people and drug use on the B and D lines. In comparison, this situation wasn’t apparent on the San Diego Trolley, where many stations have security guards and frequent fare checks on board the trolleys.

When I visited Los Angeles in 2023, things had somewhat improved. The Metro played classical music at MacArthur Park Station to deter homeless people from gathering, but this measure had its critics.

On the other hand, earlier this year, I saw the recently renovated Willowbrook Station deteriorating, with a broken elevator and feces on the platform.

Negative impressions take years to overcome and transit systems require concerted measures to improve security. BART recently introduced new fare gates that have enhanced fare revenues and onboard security.

There has been an argument about whether not enforcing the law is a way for progressive activists to restore economic equity, given that other measures are not feasible. However, I believe that not enforcing the law harms the progressive cause overall. Socially vulnerable people—women, the elderly, the disabled, and young parents—do not benefit from transit when security is lacking. They benefit immensely when transit is safe, reliable, and affordable. Transit workers also deserve a safe working environment to ensure the continued delivery of affordable mobility.

service updates

San Diego MTS to introduce Copper Line in East County

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On Sunday, September 29, San Diego MTS will add the Copper Line to the trolley system. Instead of a system expansion, this line will replace the Green Line between El Cajon and Santee. Passengers traveling beyond El Cajon will transfer from the Copper Line to the Green or Orange Line in El Cajon.

The rationale for the new line is to improve service reliability, as the segment beyond El Cajon has only a single track, causing delays to both the Green Line and the Orange Line. Additionally, by operating it as a separate route, the Copper Line can use shorter 1 or 2-car trains, reducing operating costs by about $1 million.