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Blue Line (San Diego Trolley)

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Blue Line
Blue Line train at Trolley at the US-Mexico Border
Overview
StatusCurrently Running,
Undergoing Renovations,
No stations closed.
OwnerMetropolitan Transit System
LocaleSan Diego, California
Termini
Stations18[1]
WebsiteSDMTS - Trolley
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSan Diego Trolley
Operator(s)San Diego Trolley, Inc.
Rolling stockTriple Car U2 or SD-100 Trains
* Train configurations may vary based on system volume.
Ridership16,532,209 (FY 2015)[2]
History
OpenedJuly 19, 1981; 43 years ago (1981-07-19)[3]
Technical
Line length15.4 mi (24.8 km)[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
(standard gauge)
Operating speedMax. 55 mph (89 km/h)
Average 50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map
Template:Infobox rdt

The Blue Line is a 15.4-mile (24.8 km) 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).[1] It currently operates between Downtown San Diego and San Ysidro, at the border with Mexico.[4] The Blue Line has the highest ridership of the San Diego Trolley's three regular lines, transporting 15,094,878 riders during FY 2014[5] and 16,532,209 riders during FY 2015,[2] according to the MTS.

The line is one of four lines in the Trolley system, the others include the Green; Orange, and Silver lines.[1][6]

History

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,[3][7] at a spartan cost of $86 million, using the existing tracks of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. In 1986, the line was named the South Line to differentiate it from the new East Line to Euclid Avenue. On July 2, 1992, the line was extended north from downtown with the opening of the County Center/Little Italy stop.[7] It was renamed the North-South Line when the Old Town extension opened on June 16, 1996.[7] The North-South Line was renamed the Blue Line in 1997,[3] with the opening of the extension to Mission San Diego on November 23, 1997.[7]

When the Green Line was brought into service in 2005, the Blue Line was cut back to the 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, the Bayfront/E Street station in Chula Vista opened in October 1986,[7] 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 the Fifth Avenue station. The Fenton Parkway stop was an 'infill' station that opened in 2000; however, it is now only served by the Green Line.

2012 realignment

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 current northern terminus.[8] Blue Line trains travel between America Plaza to San Ysidro on a regular 15 minute frequency, with a 7 1/2 minute frequency during weekday rush hours.[8][9] Blue Line service to Old Town will be reinstated once the Mid-Coast trolley extension to University City is completed.[10]

Stops along the Blue Line

See also: List of San Diego Trolley stations
Blue Line
(San Ysidro–Downtown–America Plaza)
Station Name Connections Bus Train Parking Info Notes
America Plaza  Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves One America Plaza.
Directly adjacent to Santa Fe Depot – so is an "indirect" transfer point for the Green Line.
This was an infill station – added upon competition of the One America Plaza building in 1991.
Terminus for Blue Line.
Civic Center  Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves City Hall, Courthouse, and Horton Plaza.
Fifth Avenue  Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves Downtown San Diego.
City College  Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves San Diego City College, San Diego High School.
Park & Market  Orange Line
 Silver Line
12th & Imperial Transit Center  Green Line
 Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves Petco Park.
Universal transfer station for all lines.
Terminus for Green and Silver Lines.
Barrio Logan Serves Chicano Park.
Harborside
Pacific Fleet Serves Naval Base San Diego.
8th Street
24th Street
Bayfront/E Street This was an infill station (it was added 5 years after the line's opening) – the first infill station on the Blue Line.
H Street
Palomar Street
Palm Avenue
Iris Avenue
Beyer Boulevard
San Ysidro Transit Center Serves U.S.-Mexico International Border.
Terminus for Blue Line.

Future service plans

Main article: San Diego Trolley – Future service plans

Trolley Renewal Project

To accommodate the new Siemens S70 models and allow for their use on the line, the current Blue Line stations need to undergo renovation, although this has been done over a period of time to prevent the disruption of operation.[11] The low-floor Siemens S70 LRVs began operation on the Blue Line on January 27, 2015.[12] As of February 2015, eight Blue Line stations have been fully renovated and restored to service. Additional details and construction updates can be found at the MTS Trolley Renewal page.[13] Current construction on the Blue Line for the Trolley Renewal Project includes:

  • Palm Avenue and Iris Avenue stations – Stations undergoing construction from September 2014 to Spring 2015 for the Trolley Renewal Project.[13] These stations will remain open, although during construction riders may be asked to use temporary platforms located just south of the existing station platforms that are undergoing renovation. In addition, parking will be impacted by construction at the Palm Avenue and Iris Avenue stations.
  • Beyer Boulevard station – Station undergoing construction from December 2014 to June 2015 for the Trolley Renewal Project.[13] This station will remain open, although during construction riders may be asked to use a temporary platform near the existing station platform that is undergoing renovation. In addition, parking will be impacted by construction at the Beyer Boulevard station.
  • San Ysidro Transit Center station – Station undergoing construction from December 2014 to March 2015 for the Trolley Renewal Project.[13] This station will remain open, although during construction riders may be asked to use a temporary platform near the existing station platform that is undergoing renovation.

Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project

The next major Trolley extension is the 10.9-mile (17.5 km) extension of the Blue Line from the Old Town Transit Center north to La Jolla Village, University of California, San Diego and University City.[14][15] Ridership is projected at 34,700 trips in 2030.[16] The extension will primarily follow the right-of-way of the Coaster and Interstate 5, with an elevated deviation around the UCSD area. MTS estimates that construction will begin in 2016 and the extension will be completed and ready for service in 2019 or early 2020,[10] costing $2.1 billion.[16] 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) will provide transit in and around the UTC area from the nearby Trolley stations.[17]

Future extension alignment

The following table lists the stations associated with the Mid-Coast Trolley extension project, and presumes another Trolley system realignment upon the starting operation of this Blue Line extension.

Station Name Connections Bus Train Parking Info Notes
Westfield UTC
(Future Transit Center) 		Will serve Westfield UTC
and Costa Verde Shopping Center.
New terminus for Blue Line.
Executive Drive
(Future Station)
UCSD East/Voigt Drive
(Future Station) 		Will serve University of California, San Diego
and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.
UCSD West/Pepper Canyon
(Future Station) 		Will serve University of California, San Diego.
VA Medical Center
(Future Station) 		Will serve VA Medical Center (VAMC) of San Diego.
Nobel Drive
(Future Station) 		Will serve La Jolla Village Square
and The Shops at La Jolla.
Balboa Avenue
(Future Station)
Clairemont Drive
(Future Station) 		Will serve Mission Bay.
Tecolote Road
(Future Station) 		Will serve SeaWorld.
Old Town Transit Center  Green Line Serves Old Town Historic Park.
Transfer point for the Coaster and the Surfliner.
Washington Street  Green Line
Middletown
 Green Line
County Center/Little Italy  Green Line Serves San Diego County Administration Center.
Santa Fe Depot
 Green Line Directly adjacent to America Plaza – so is an "indirect" transfer point for Orange and Silver Lines.
Transfer point for the Coaster and the Surfliner.
America Plaza  Orange Line
 Silver Line 		Serves One America Plaza.
Directly adjacent to Santa Fe Depot – so is an "indirect" transfer point for the Green Line.
New terminus for Orange Line.
Continues on existing route

References

  1. ^ a b c d "San Diego Trolley, Inc" (pdf). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. February 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2015 – via http://www.sdmts.com/about-mts. {{cite web}}: External link in |via= (help)
  2. ^ a b "MTS Announces Consecutive Years of Record Ridership With Nearly 97 million Passengers in FY 2015". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. October 1, 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "MTS Historical Timeline". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  4. ^ "SDMTS - Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  5. ^ "MTS Announces a Record 95 Million Passengers Rode the Bus and Trolley in FY 2014". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. August 19, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  6. ^ "San Diego Trolley Fact Sheet" (pdf). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (via: http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/TrolleyFactSheet.asp). February 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2013. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b c d e Ristine, Jeff (July 23, 2006). "After 25 years, the trolley keeps on moving". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "San Diego's Green Line Will Finally Arrive Downtown In September". KPBS. April 30, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Mid-Coast Trolley". San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  11. ^ "MTS To Purchase 57 New Light Rail Vehicles". KGTV (10 News). September 24, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
  12. ^ "Blue Line Upgraded with a New Fleet of Low-Floor Trolley Cars". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. January 27, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d "Trolley Renewal Project". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  14. ^ "MTS Moves! Summer 2010 (MTS Newsletter)" (pdf). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Summer 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  15. ^ "Mid Coast Trolley Extension Map" (pdf). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. April 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  17. ^ "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project Fact Sheet" (pdf). San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). May 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
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