San Diego Trolley
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| San Diego Trolley | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Info | |||
| Locale | San Diego, CA (San Diego County) | ||
| Transit type | Light rail | ||
| Number of lines | 3 | ||
| Number of stations | 53 | ||
| Daily ridership | 118,400 (4th Qtr 2007 Weekday Avg.) | ||
| Website | http://www.sdmts.com/ | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | July 26, 1981 | ||
| Operator(s) | San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI) | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 51.1 mi (82.2 km) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) (standard gauge) | ||
| Minimum radius of curvature | (?) | ||
| Electrification | 600 V DC Overhead line | ||
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The San Diego Trolley is a trolley-style light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego, California. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI),[1] is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The Trolley began service on July 26, 1981,[1] and today operates three lines called Blue Line, Orange Line and Green Line. The San Diego Trolley is currently the fifth most-ridden light rail system in the United States.
San Diego Trolley initially used the same German-built Siemens-Duewag U2 vehicles as Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta, Canada as well as Frankfurt, Germany. The fleet has since been expanded to include the SD-100 and Avanto S70 vehicles manufactured by Siemens.
Contents |
[edit] History
SDTI was created by the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (now known as MTS) in 1980 to operate light-rail service along the Main Line of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, which had been purchased by MTDB from Southern Pacific Railroad in 1979. Service commenced on July 26, 1981 between Centre City or downtown San Diego and San Ysidro, with stops in the cities of San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista.
In March 1986 SDTI opened an extension east from Centre City San Diego to Euclid Avenue, along the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE Railway. Service was extended along the same line to Spring Street in May 1989 serving Lemon Grove and La Mesa, and again to El Cajon in June 1989. Service from El Cajon to Santee, not operating along SD&AE right-of-way, began in August 1995.
The "Bayside" extension of the Trolley in Centre City San Diego opened in June 1990. The first phase of the Old Town extension, from C Street to Little Italy in Centre City San Diego, opened in July 1992. The second phase of that extension, running from Little Italy to Old Town, opened in June 1996.
The "Mission Valley West" SDTI extension from Old Town to Mission San Diego commenced in November 1997, and the "Mission Valley East" extension from Mission San Diego to La Mesa began operating in July 2005.
[edit] Early history
The planning for the San Diego Trolley began in 1966 under the auspices of the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO), an intergovernmental agency of 13 cities and San Diego County. San Diego’s streetcar system had been replaced with buses in 1949. In 1966 the local bus company, San Diego Transit, was facing a financial crisis and public takeover. The CPO developed a mass-transit plan to address the long-range transportation issues of the metropolitan area.
Little progress was made in the decade 1966-1975. CPO continued to research options for addressing the region’s transportation needs. Several prominent stakeholders submitted their own mass-transit master plans for the region. The alternatives studied in the decade included:
- Restoration of the 1949 streetcar system for $1.3 billion
- BART-like system featuring 417 stations on a system of 284 miles (457 km) for $2–5 billion
- Elevated system featuring automatic rapid transit vehicles for $1 billion
- Short demonstration light-rail line (Airport to Downtown), for $20 million
- Express bus system on freeways
The debate between rail rapid transit and light rail was conducted without reference to any specific right-of-way or railroad tracks. The CPO’s 1975 Regional Comprehensive Plan described a $1.5 billion rail-rapid transit system in San Diego featuring a system of 58 miles (93 km) and 11 lines. However, by this time, it was widely acknowledged by public officials that the BART-like system would be much more expensive than light rail. Rail rapid plans were stalled due to high costs. Proponents of the rail rapid system were concerned about the low speed of at-grade streetcar systems. Operating deficits were also a concern. A 1974 CPO study concluded that a streetcar system would incur operating deficits of $1.9 million annually. It was also understood that any BART-like system would incur substantial deficits.
[edit] The Metropolitan Transit Development Board
The creation of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) in 1976 with a clearly stated mission initially did not resolve differences between the many stakeholders. However, MTDB did analyze previous transit studies, and determined that the guideway system should satisfy the following principles:
- Corridor should extend a long distance and offer high-speed operation
- Low capital cost designs should be adopted, to keep the costs within an affordable range
- Construction should be at-grade with mostly exclusive right-of-way
- Operating deficits should be minimized
A feasibility study completed in 1975 identified the unit costs of guideway options, including the estimation of ‘typical section’ per-linear-foot costs for six guideway types: (1) cut-and-cover subway; (2) tunnel bore; (3) ‘aerial line’; (4) open-cut line with retaining walls; (5) sidehill berm cut line; (6) at-grade line. In addition, the MTDB’s enabling legislation explicitly required the guideway system to satisfy the following criteria, consistent with the principles adopted by the Board:
1. Priority consideration shall be given to technologies presently available and in use
2. Guideway system shall be capable of being brought into operation incrementally
3. Transportation rights-of-way of public entities shall be utilized to minimize construction costs
The adoption of the above principles effectively required either a ‘light rail vehicle’ capable of street running (to avoid grade separation), or a commuter-rail like design terminating at the Santa Fe Depot.
The MTDB’s enabling legislation also provided a dedicated funding source for guideway construction that would expire in 1981. Urgency was created since the dedicated funding would revert to the State highway fund if not expended on mass-transit guideway construction. In 1976-77, considerable planning efforts were completed. MTDB’s 1977 “Guideway Planning Project: Phase I Report” identified many alignment options:
(1) Interstate highways I-5, I-8, and I-805; (2) State Routes 94 and 163; (3) Railroad rights-of-way owned by Santa Fe (AT&SF) and by Southern Pacific/San Diego & Arizona Eastern (SD&AE); (4) Local arterials El Cajon Boulevard, 4th/6th/Genesee Avenues, and Highland/National/3rd/5th Avenues.
This report dismissed the use of local arterials for line-haul purposes, due to the cost of aerial or tunnel guideways. “A guideway extending from El Cajon easterly (parallel to I-8) to the vicinity of I-5/Santa Fe Railroad, then southerly through Centre City to San Ysidro parallel to I-5 and SD&AE” was recommended as the first increment. As planning intensified, Phase II of the “Guideway Planning Project” was under way, with efforts initially focusing on the El Cajon Line with the higher ridership potential. However, nature intervened.
[edit] Tropical Storm Kathleen
On September 10, 1976, Tropical Storm Kathleen destroyed parts of SD&AE’s Desert Line, at the time a part of the Southern Pacific (SP) system. The hurricane caused $1.3 million worth of damage, primarily in the Eastern part of the State. Through freight service to Arizona was suspended and San Diego became an isolated portion of the SP system. SP petitioned for abandonment of the SD&AE on August 9, 1977 of all tracks west of Plaster City, while the MTDB guideway planning project was ongoing. Due to the apparently immediate availability of a right-of-way in the South Bay Corridor, the transit planning refocused on the SD&AE (SP) Tijuana line, making it the effective ‘minimum operable segment’.
At the same time, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors became concerned about the freight service on the SD&AE. Direct freight service to the East was seen as vital to the county’s economic interests and the continued viability of San Diego as a deep-water port. With an eye towards preserving freight service and future transit right-of-way, San Diego County commissioned its own internal study effort, “Feasibility of Using Existing SD&AE ROW for Commuter Service”, to examine using a portion of the SD&AE tracks for light rail or diesel passenger service sharing track with freight services. Part of the motivation for considering the SD&AE was to “operate the freight service at a profit through changes to work rules, relief from property taxes, and sharing of costs with the transit operation”.
[edit] Transit alternatives
By late 1977, two major transit investment studies were under way focusing on the same corridor: the MTDB-sponsored “Guideway Planning Project”, and San Diego County’s “SD&AE ROW Feasibility Study”.
1. The Base Case: MTDB described the base case as a modified bus network that retained the same number of total vehicles as the present San Diego Transit system.
2. MTDB’s All-Bus Improvement Alternative: This “low capital cost” system would have introduced high-occupancy vehicle lanes on freeways and invested in higher capacity buses and express routes.
3. MTDB’s Rail Improvement Alternative, San Diego County’s “Light Rail Electric”: This “medium capital cost” has electric light-rail transit replacing buses in the South Line corridor and would re-deploy the buses on feeder services.
4. MTDB’s Fully Separated Rail Freight Service Alternative: MTDB examined the possibility of an exclusive double-track South Line on the SD&AE right-of-way. Under this freight rationalization proposal, freight trains would operate over the parallel Coronado Spur south to Imperial Beach, and via 2 miles (3.2 km) of new right-of-way and 5 miles (8 km) of “shared corridor” parallel operations on dedicated tracks to reach Tijuana.
5. San Diego County’s “Leased Diesel” Option: The county saw the leased diesel (equivalent to present day commuter rail) as the lowest initial cost option with the least time required to begin service. Facilities would be designed to be convertible to light rail when more funds became available.
6. San Diego County’s “Light Rail Diesel” Option: The county was interested in the self-powered diesel rail cars for its lower capital costs, however, noted that the vehicles were not then approved by the California Public Utilities Commission for one-person operation.
[edit] Implementation
In 1978, the MTDB successfully negotiated with SP to purchase the SD&AE for $18.1 million, including the $1.3 million required to restore the hurricane damaged freight line. This was a dual-intent decision, to preserve both rail freight services to the Imperial Valley, and to preserve available right-of-way for future transit use. In light of cheaper light-rail options identified in the MTDB and San Diego County studies, more expensive options such as a proposed $325 million rail-rapid transit line on a new right-of-way to the border seemed less competitive. There was universal agreement that using the SD&AE right-of-way and light rail technology was more economical and practical than a new rail-rapid transit line.
Construction of the San Diego Trolley proceeded incrementally. The initial construction of new track focused mainly in downtown San Diego. The work on the SD&AE railroad track is best described as ‘rehabilitation’. The MTDB replaced 40% of all ties, cropped and welded the jointed rail, constructed electric catenaries, and installed an absolute block signal system. To control costs, the San Diego Trolley ordered only 14 cars, and did not install ‘mimic’ boards or the on-train location equipment until after the East Line was completed in 1989. No new sidings were initially installed on the SD&AE segment, which had three passing sidings between San Diego and San Ysidro. Service started at 15-minute headways using the rehabilitated single-track line.
San Diego Trolley opened in 1981 with 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of operations on the South Line. Additional vehicles were purchased in 1983, and the South Line was mostly double-tracked by 1984, largely on the strength of demand for more frequent headways. The business plan’s incremental building and funding approach was vindicated. The East Line opened to Euclid Avenue in 1986, and was extended to El Cajon in 1989 and Santee in 1995. Service was extended northward to Old Town in 1996 and then eastward in Mission Valley in both 1997 and 2005.[2]
The transit center at 12th & Imperial, in the southeastern portion of downtown San Diego, has historically been used as the transfer point between the various lines, and is located adjacent to the Trolley's maintenance facilities. It is a recognizable landmark in the neighborhood, as it includes a grey clocktower with red clock. It is located two blocks east of the main entrance to PETCO Park and is the station serving that facility.
[edit] Current lines
[edit] Blue Line
The Blue Line currently operates between San Ysidro and Old Town. The line first opened between Centre City San Diego and San Ysidro in 1981, at a spartan cost of $86 million. The Bayfront/E Street station in Chula Vista opened in 1985. A year later, the line was named the South Line to differentiate it from the new East Line to Euclid Avenue. It was renamed the North-South Line when the Old Town extension opened in 1996. The North-South Line was renamed the Blue Line in 1997 with the opening of the extension to Mission San Diego. The Fenton Parkway stop opened in 2000. With the introduction of the Green Line on July 10, 2005, most Blue Line service between Old Town and Mission San Diego was discontinued save for a few select rush hour trains. On September 3, 2006 the Qualcomm service Blue line trains were discontinued entirely due to low ridership. Now, all Blue Line trains terminate at Old Town, although many people[who?] suggest the Blue line end at Qualcomm stadium during Charger Games and events due to overcrowding problems on trolleys.
Stations along the southern end are sparsely furnished and do not feature concrete platforms like the rest of the system.
[edit] Stops along the Blue Line
[edit] Orange Line
The Orange Line currently operates between Centre City San Diego and El Cajon. Service began on the Trolley's second line in 1986, initially operating between downtown San Diego and Euclid Avenue. The East Line, as it was then called, kept its name after successive extensions to Spring Street, El Cajon Transit Center, the Bayside in downtown, and Santee Town Center. It was renamed the Orange Line in 1997. Service between Gillespie Field and Santee Town Center was replaced by the Green Line in 2005.
[edit] Stops along the Orange Line
[edit] Green Line
The Green Line is the newest Trolley line opened in July 2005. Service currently operates between Old Town in San Diego and the city of Santee. This includes the Mission Valley East extension, as well as previously operating segments of the Blue Line west of Mission San Diego and Orange Line east of Grossmont Transit Center. The San Diego State University (SDSU) stop is the system's only underground station.
[edit] Stops along the Green Line
[edit] Special Event Service Line
SDTI operates special trains during sporting events at PETCO Park (which is served from the 12th & Imperial Transit Center; the park's main entrance is at 10th & Imperial) and Qualcomm Stadium (which has a dedicated station), as well as selected conventions and other major city events. These trains operate between Qualcomm Stadium and downtown San Diego's 12th & Imperial Transit Center. During baseball games at petco park, service terminates and begins at Gaslamp Quarter.
[edit] Stops along the Special Event Line
[edit] Future Service Plans
[edit] Avanto S70 Modernization
On September 24, 2009, MTS approved the purchase of 57 new model S70 cars, at a total cost of $205 million.[3] The cars are expected to begin arriving in late 2011 and will be identical to those currently running on the Green Line. SDTI will reduce the maximum consist size on these trains from 4 cars to 3 cars, as each S70 is approximately 9 feet longer than the older SD100s and U2s. In order to run these trains on the older Orange and Blue Lines a platform renovation project has begun, starting with Blue Line stations south of Old Town, working its way southbound. The project entails raising the station platform to 6 inches and placing a special "safety mat" type tile with a smooth surface in the center, on the curb to allow for the wheelchair ramps to deploy without being damaged, as the existing "safety tile" contains rivets all the way throughout it. Some stations, primarily south of 12th and Imperial on the Blue Line, still board at track level, and major re-construction will be needed. The platform renovation project is a $234 million project and is expected for completion in 2013.[3]
[edit] Mid-Coast Trolley
SANDAG is planning a Mid-Coast extension of the San Diego Trolley from the Old Town Transit Center 11 miles (17.7 km) to the University City community serving major activity and employment centers such as the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) campus and University Towne Centre (UTC) shopping center.[4] This is part of the "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project".[5] It is planned to be completed by December of 2015.[6]
[edit] Other new service ideas
There are no expansion plans of the San Diego Trolley currently being planned or examined closely aside from the Mid-Coast Extension and Downtown Silver Line. However, from time to time other ideas have been raised among elected officials, special interest groups, or citizens. The most frequently citied ideas include the following:
- Extending the Green Line from Old Town into Centre City San Diego.
- Extending service to the San Diego International Airport; Lindbergh Field.[7]
- Linking the South Bay region to Otay Valley's commercial and residential areas.
- Extending service from Centre City San Diego northward to Balboa Park and densely populated areas of Hillcrest and North Park.
- Extending service to Mission Beach and Pacific Beach.
- Extending service northward from San Diego along the I-15 corridor to Mira Mesa.
In addition to the above, a downtown subway alignment has been raised as a solution to a projected 183% increase in light-rail morning ridership and the need to provide more train capacity.[8]
[edit] Fleet specifications
Below are the technical specifications of the system's three different models of light rail vehicles, as shown on the website of the MTS.[1]
| Specification | U2 Model | SD100 Model | S70 Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Siemens Duewag Dusseldorf, West Germany and Sacramento, CA | Siemens Sacramento, CA | Siemens Sacramento, CA |
| Type | Double-ended articulated car, 6 axle, multiple-unit operation to 5 cars. | Double-ended articulated car, 6 axle, multiple-unit operation to 5 cars. | Double-ended articulated car, 6 axle, multiple-unit operation to 5 cars. |
| Fleet Size | 71 | 52 | 11 |
| Height (top of car to rail) |
12.4 feet (3,780 mm) | 12.4 feet (3,780 mm) | 12.4 feet (3,780 mm) |
| Center Aisle Floor Height | 39 inches (991 mm) | 39 inches (991 mm) | 15 inches (381 mm) |
| Width (exterior) | 8.7 feet (2,652 mm) | 8.7 feet (2,652 mm) | 8.7 feet (2,652 mm) |
| Length (end to end) | 76 feet (23.165 m) | 76.71 feet (23.381 m) | 88.5 feet (26.975 m) |
| Length (over coupler faces) |
79.67 feet (24.283 m) | 81.36 feet (24.799 m) | 90.7 feet (27.645 m) |
| Weight (empty) | 77,161 pounds (35,000 kg) | 89,000 pounds (40,370 kg) | 97,900 pounds (44,407 kg) |
| Car Body | Lightweight welded steel, reinforced fiberglass covers articulation and operator cab portion. | Lightweight welded steel. | Low alloy high tensile steel and composite materials. |
| Interior | Upholstered neoprene foam (fire-resistant) seat. Rubber flooring. Simulated wood paneling. | Upholstered neoprene foam (fire-resistant) seat. Rubber flooring. Simulated wood paneling. | Cloth-covered loam seats (fire-resistant), rubber flooring, color-coordinated paneling. |
| Wheels | Steel-tired with acoustic dampening. | Steel-tired with acoustic dampening. | Steel-tired with acoustic dampening. |
| Dynamic Braking | Primary method of stopping car. Fades when speed reduced to approx. 1/2–3 miles per hour (0.8–4.8 km/h). Friction braking completes the stop. Traction motors operate as generators. Full dynamic braking from 50 to 3 miles per hour (80.5 to 4.8 km/h). | Primary method of stopping car. Fades when speed reduced to approx. 1/2–3 miles per hour (0.8–4.8 km/h). Friction braking completes the stop. Traction motors become generators. Full dynamic braking from 55 to 3 miles per hour (88.5 to 4.8 km/h). | Primary method of stopping car. Fades when speed reduced to approx. 1/2–3 miles per hour (0.8–4.8 km/h). Friction braking completes the stop. Traction motors become alternators. Full dynamic braking from 55 to 1/2 miles per hour (88.5 to 0.8 km/h). |
| Ventilation (cooling and heating unit on entire fleet) | Dynamic air pressure allowing an exchange rate of not less than 20 times per hour. | Dynamic air pressure allowing an exchange rate of not less than 20 times per hour. | Interior air-conditioning and heating to accommodate local climate. |
| Speed | 50 miles per hour (80.5 km/h) maximum | 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h) maximum | 55 miles per hour (88.5 km/h) maximum |
| Overhead Traction Power | 600 V DC | 600 V DC | 600 V DC |
| Operating Power Requirements | 500 kW to accelerate from a stationary position. 150 kW needed to maintain speed. | 550 kW to accelerate from a stationary position. 165 kW needed to maintain speed. | 130 kW to maintain speed. |
| Passenger Capacity | Seated: 64 Commute: 96 Special Events: 150 |
Seated: 64 Commute: 96 Special Events: 150 |
Seated: 64 (52 with wheelchairs) Commute: 120 Special Events: 163 |
| Doors - 8 per car | Individually activated by passenger pushing button after locks released by operator. One for wheelchair lift; low level stair boarding through double-folding doors. | Opened by operator and/or Individually activated by passenger pushing button after locks released by operator. One for wheelchair lift; low level stair boarding through double-folding doors. | Opened by operator and/or Individually activated by passenger pushing button after locks released by operator. All center sliding doors comply with ADA requirements; low-floor boarding through sliding doors. |
| Door Safety System | Includes photo-electric cells and sensitive door leaf edges, weight sensor on lower step. | Photo-electric cells and sensitive door leaf edges. | Photo-electric cells and sensitive door leaf edges. |
| Wheelchair Lifts | Located at one dedicated door at one end of each vehicle. | Located at one dedicated door at one end of each vehicle. | Bridge plates/ramps on 2 designated doors per car side. |
[edit] Floor plans
Below are the floor plans of the system's three different models of light rail vehicle, as shown on the website of the MTS.[1]
| Floor plan | |
|---|---|
| Model U2 71 units Car nos.: First purchase: |
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| Model SD100 52 units Car nos.: First purchase: |
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| Model S70 11 units Car nos.: First purchase: |
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "San Diego Trolley Fact Sheet". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. January 2008. http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/TrolleyFactSheet.asp. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ Ristine, Jeff (July 23, 2006). "After 25 years, the trolley keeps on moving". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060723/news_1m23trolley.html#. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ a b MTS To Purchase 57 New Light Rail Vehicles KGTV (10 News). September 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
- ^ Mid-Coast Trolley Extension SANDAG. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project Fact Sheet SANDAG. Retrieved March 29, 2008.
- ^ Schedule for Mid-Coast LTR Retrieved January 11, 2009.
- ^ Schmidt, Steve (March 29, 2008). "Added transportation to the airport is discussed". The San Diego Union-Tribune. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080329-9999-1m29airport.html. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ Going Underground, San Diego CityBeat, Retrieved March 19, 2008.
- Trolley Fact Sheet (Jan. 2008)
- APTA Ridership Statistics
- Gena Holle, The San Diego Trolley, Interurban Press (1995); “Guideway Planning Project Final Report”
- MTDB (1978); “Report on Feasibility of Using Existing SD&AE ROW for Commuter Service”
- San Diego County (1978); MTDB publicity materials including “San Diego Trolley, Inc. Summary” (1997), MTDB Progress Report 1976-1986; Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, San Diego & Arizona Railway.
[edit] External links
- Official trolley site
- San Diego Electric Railway Association
- San Diego Trolley Photos
- Map of the San Diego Trolley System
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