MTS PLANS TO ADD BUS AND TROLLEY SERVICE: OPEN HOUSES ARE BEING HELD TO GET RIDER INPUT

An Open House at the El Cajon Transit Center will be held April 14 with others around the county throughout the month.

April 10, 2012 (San Diego) -- For the first time since the economic downturn began in 2008, the Metropolitan Transit System is planning to add Bus and Trolley services. MTS will hold several open houses at transit centers to get rider input on planned service improvements and the opportunity to learn about proposed changes and ask questions in an informal setting.

They will be held:

Tuesday, April 10

Fashion Valley Transit Center, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
Iris Avenue Transit Center, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.    

Wednesday, April 11

America Plaza Trolley Station, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
Old Town Transit Center (west), 3 p.m.-6 p.m.      

Friday, April 13

City College Transit Station, 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
UTC Transit Center, 3 pm-6 pm

Saturday, April 14

El Cajon Transit Center, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Old Town Transit Center (east), 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
H Street Transit Center, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.       

Among the service enhancements being planned are increased frequencies of service, longer hours of operation and/or route improvements that better connect the network of services. Improvements would be implemented in September 2012 and January 2013. 

Greater tax and fare revenues, combined with the reinstatement of State Transit Assistance funding by the State of California, gave the MTS Board of Directors confidence to increase the operating budget by about $6 million for fiscal year 2013, which begins in July.

“We will continue to be very pragmatic in our planning,” said Paul Jablonski, Chief Executive Officer of MTS. “Our goal is to add the services that are most needed by our riders, but to do it cautiously. We do not want to add something that we might have to take away if revenues drop again.”

Increased rider demand is also driving the decision to add more service. MTS ridership for fiscal year 2012 is approaching the record 91 million trips that were taken in 2008; the last time gas prices and high employment coincided.

“Our service improvements are designed to alleviate crowding on our Buses and to give our riders more options,” said Jablonski. “But before we implement these changes, we want to make sure that our riders have a chance to comment on our proposal and to ensure that we are considering options that are important to our riders.”

MTS operates more than 90 fixed route Bus services and more than 53 miles of Trolley services. MTS will generate more than 90 million trips in fiscal year 2012.