New! Rapid! Costly?

On Thursday, November 19, residents on the eastern side of Chula Vista received a letter in the mail from the San Diego Association of Governments concerning a new rapid transit project.

The South Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to create a 21-mile bus route originating at the Otay Mesa border and extending northwest through eastern Chula Vista, eventually ending in downtown.

According to the letter, the new bus route will have limited stops, comfortable vehicles, and fast, frequent service. The letter states that the travel time will be reduced using dedicated “guideways” and bus-only lanes, as well as technology to get through traffic signals more quickly.

Construction is set to begin in the next couple of years, and phase one is scheduled to be completed by 2013. Upon completion, the Metropolitan Transit System will operate the route. Phase two will include the addition of I-805 "managed lanes" and increase access for National City residents.

Once finalized, the route will have 12 stations serving major activity centers in downtown San Diego, the South Bay, as well as the Otay Mesa port of entry. It’s projected that service can be provided in intervals of ten minutes during peak commute hours.

Funding for phase one will be predominantly from TransNet dollars, which is the regional sales tax approved by voters in 2004. The second phase will use federal, state, and local funding sources.