51-629: El Cajon Transit Center (formerly Main & Marshall station ) is a San Diego Trolley station served by the Copper , Green and Orange lines in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, California . The station is a major commuter center for the large suburb and is the convergence of multiple local and regional bus routes operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and Greyhound Lines . El Cajon opened as
102-673: A 1975 law established the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) with a clear mission: design, construct and operate a guideway transit system. The entire process was assigned to MTDB to assure accountability. The legislation was written and supported by State Senator James R. Mills , the President Pro Tem during this period and a strong transit advocate. The MTDB formally started operations on January 1, 1976. The MTDB's enabling legislation and principles adopted by
153-628: A line that traveled between downtown San Diego, San Ysidro, northern Baja California (in Mexico), and Imperial County before connecting with the rest of the SP system in Plaster City, California . The hurricane caused $ 1.3 million worth of damage to the line ($ 6.96 million adjusted for inflation), primarily in Imperial County, east of San Diego. Freight service was suspended, and in light of
204-518: A new signalling system that would allow two freight trains to operate at night, rather than one. To enable the switch to a low-floor light rail vehicle (LRV) fleet, platforms at 35 stations would need to be raised from either ground level or sidewalk level (4-inch (102 mm)) to 6-inch (152 mm). Stations also needed a new "safety edge tile" with a smooth surface in the center to allow wheelchair ramps to deploy (the existing safety tile would stop ramps from fully deploying). The other complication of
255-745: A second line on March 23, 1986, that shared the same downtown tracks and traveled east to Euclid Avenue on the La Mesa Branch of the SD&;AE. The new route was then called the Euclid Line (part of today's Orange Line ). This line was extended to El Cajon by June 23, 1989, at which time it was renamed the East Line. Service was expanded beyond the old SD&AE right-of-way when the line was extended further, north, to Santee on August 26, 1995. The East Line's Bayside Connection extension to
306-476: A week. Limited service on particular segments is provided before 5 am and after 11:30 pm. There is no rail service between 2 am and 4 am. During these hours when there is no passenger service, freight trains of the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad operate on the trolley's right of way. Generally, trains operate every 15 minutes, seven days a week, with less frequent service during early morning and late evening hours. Additional service on
357-471: Is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical component of MTS, with connections to and integrated travel tickets with the local bus systems. The trolley system serves 62 stations , over about 67.9 miles (109.3 km) of route, using four primary lines ( Blue , Green , Orange , and Copper ) that operate daily, and a "downtown loop" heritage streetcar line ( Silver ) that operates on holidays. There
408-466: Is one downtown station where all the lines connect, and 13 other stations that provide transfers to a second line (two of these also provide connections to commuter rail systems). The trolley began service on July 26, 1981, making it the oldest of the second-generation light rail systems in the United States, and the success of the system helped spark a nationwide revival of light rail. In 2023,
459-492: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and federal formula funds. The "Trolley Renewal Project" would entail several improvements. Each station would get larger shelters to provide more protection from sun and rain, new benches, and digital "next arrival" signs. Worn-out infrastructure was replaced as needed, including rails, ties, catenary wires, power lines and electrical substations. The project also included
510-635: The Green Line . The line also featured the first low-floor trolley vehicles, that allow passengers to board without climbing stairs and allowed passengers using wheelchairs to use a small bridge plate instead of the slower lifts on the older trains. But, the new vehicles could only operate on the Green Line, forcing passengers heading between Mission Valley and downtown San Diego to change trains in Old Town. (This restriction no longer applies.) In
561-670: The San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter opened on June 30, 1990. Later in the decade, the South Line was extended to the north, reaching Little Italy on July 2, 1992, and Old Town on June 16, 1996. The system was further expanded east from the Old Town station as the Mission Valley Line, which opened on November 23, 1997. It proceeded eastward from Old Town to Fashion Valley Mall , Mission Valley Mall, and San Diego Stadium . At
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#1732780194407612-583: The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) campus, three major hospitals on (and adjacent to) the campus, and Westfield UTC mall. Construction began in October 2016, and train testing on the line began in late June 2021. The Mid-Coast extension opened on November 21, 2021. The Blue Line was re-extended north from its original northern terminus at America Plaza to run through five existing stations (up to and including its pre-2012 terminus,
663-496: The heritage streetcar Silver Line , operates more limited weekday and weekend service, in a clockwise 'circle-loop' around downtown San Diego only (this is an overlay of existing parts of other lines in downtown). The San Diego Trolley system has 62 operational stations serving its three major Trolley lines ( Blue , Green , and Orange ), as well as the Copper Line shuttle and limited-service Silver Line . Thirteen of
714-523: The Blue Line between America Plaza and San Ysidro boosts frequency to every 7.5 minutes during weekdays. The San Diego Trolley operates on a proof-of-payment system. Passengers must have proof of fare (ticket or pass) before boarding. Self-serve ticket-vending machines located at each station sell one-way paper tickets and passes (one day and monthly) on the Pronto Card . (An older fare card that
765-643: The Blue Line) was completed by January 27, 2015, The project, including remaining station and track renovations, was completed in late 2015. In 2011, SANDAG received key approval for the Mid-coast extension of the Blue Line , running from Old Town Transit Center 11 miles (17.7 km) north to the University City community, serving major activity and employment centers such as Mission Bay Park,
816-536: The Board required the planning give added weight to systems that satisfy a number of criteria: priority consideration for technologies available and in use, a system that is capable of being brought into operation incrementally, and using rights-of-way owned by public entities to minimize construction costs. In December 1976, the MTDB launched its 18-month Guideway Planning Project to be held in two phases. Phase 1 involved
867-477: The Green Line, these are Fashion Valley Transit Center , Stadium , Mission San Diego , and Grantville . There is just one trolley station in the system that is underground – SDSU Transit Center – also on the Green Line. About half of San Diego Trolley stations offer free park and ride lots. Most trolley stations offer connections to MTS bus lines . The San Diego Trolley's four main lines operate regular service between 5 am and 11:30 pm, seven days
918-538: The Green and Orange lines to terminate in El Cajon. There are three tracks, each served by a side platform . This California train station-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system serving San Diego County, California , United States. The trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. ( reporting mark SDTI ),
969-438: The MTDB established San Diego Trolley, Inc. to operate and maintain the new light rail system and on July 26, 1981, service began. Trains operated every 20 minutes (timed to meet at four passing tracks on the single track sections) between 5 am and 9 pm and carried approximately 10,000 passengers a day. In light of the strong ridership, construction of the second phase was started almost immediately, which involved double-tracking
1020-681: The Old Town Transit Center), and continuing to nine new trolley stations: Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive, Balboa Avenue, Nobel Drive, VA Medical Center, UCSD West/Pepper Canyon, UCSD East/Voigt Drive, Executive Drive, and UTC. The northern terminal station, UTC, is part of the UTC Transit Center, at Westfield UTC in the University City/UC San Diego area. In early 2024, the MTS proposed truncating
1071-479: The Orange Line was truncated to Santa Fe Depot and the Blue Line to America Plaza . The new alignment meant all lines now passed through downtown and created a universal transfer point for all lines at 12th & Imperial Transit Center. By January 9, 2013, all stations on the Orange Line had been rebuilt, allowing low-floor LRVs to begin service on a second line. Rebuilding of the remaining stations (all on
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#17327801944071122-518: The S70 US ("Ultra Short") which retains the low-floor design, but would be the same length as the older high-floor vehicles (80 feet (24 m)). The MTS and SANDAG agreed to purchase a total of 65 vehicles, which would arrive between September 2011 and January 27, 2015. However, there was not enough funding to replace all 123 high-floor cars at once. The decision was made to retire the original Siemens-Duewag U2 LRVs, and operate three-car trains with
1173-468: The SD&AE La Mesa Branch from downtown San Diego to El Cajon. With all the planning in place, construction of the 15.9-mile (25.6 km) "South Line" transit corridor (the southern portion of today's Blue Line ) was able to begin just one month after acquisition in December 1979 and would be accomplished in two phases. The first phase of the project cost $ 86 million, which included the purchase of
1224-545: The SD&AE corridor and purchasing 10 additional vehicles. Upon completion of double-tracking in February 1983, the total cost of the project was $ 116.6 million. The success of the San Diego Trolley would also spark a nationwide revival of light rail in the late 1980s, with lines built in several other mid-sized cities ( Buffalo , Denver , Portland , Sacramento and San Jose ). The San Diego Trolley added
1275-453: The SD&AE, 14 light rail vehicles, construction of a single-tracked electrified light rail line along the 14.2-mile (22.9 km) SD&AE Main Line and construction of a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) section of new street running tracks in downtown San Diego. To control costs, only minor rehabilitation was conducted on the SD&AE corridor, with the MTDB replacing about 40% of the ties, welding
1326-631: The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, then under construction. Ultimately, the early studies went nowhere due to disagreements between stakeholders and a lack of funding. In 1975, the CPO published the Regional Transportation Plan which included a 58-mile (93 km) intermediate capacity fixed guideway system (an untested technology at the time) at a cost of $ 1.5 billion. In
1377-468: The board selected light rail as the lone guideway transit technology to be studied (it would also be compared to several all-bus alternatives). In making the decision to pursue light rail, the MTBD board said it best followed the principles it laid out as light rail can offer high-speed travel, the right-of-way is flexible, and construction costs can be low when at-grade construction is maximized. The technology
1428-611: The early 1970s, three state legislative acts would set the stage for the construction of mass transit in the San Diego region. Transportation Development Act, signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1971, earmarked 25% of the state sales tax for funding transportation projects, including mass transit. A 1974 amendment to Article 19 of the Constitution of California permitted the use of gas tax revenues, previously reserved for highway construction, for construction of rail systems. Finally,
1479-628: The eastern terminus of both the Green and Orange lines to El Cajon Transit Center , replacing the easternmost sections of both lines with a Copper Line between El Cajon and Santee station . The Copper Line was scheduled begin operations on September 29, 2024. The line would later begin operating that day. As of 2024 , trolley service operates on four daily lines: the Blue, Green, Orange, and Copper lines, and traveling through 65 total miles of mostly double-track rail and serving 62 stations. A fifth line,
1530-460: The eastern terminus of the third segment of the East Line (now Orange Line) on June 23, 1989, which operated from 12th & Imperial in downtown San Diego . The physical line was extended to its current terminus at Santee on July 26, 1995. From July 1995 to July 2005, Orange Line service continued to terminate at the end of the line at Santee Town Center. When the Green Line opened in July 2005,
1581-546: The evaluation of potential corridors based on the CPO's 1975 Regional Transportation Plan and was guided by principles set by the MTDB board: the corridor should extend a long-distance and offer high-speed operation, the system should be at grade in a mostly exclusive right-of-way , capital costs should be low, and operating deficits should be minimized. Phase 1 studied over 100 miles of potential corridors with 45 miles of corridor recommended for further evaluation in Phase 2. At about
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1632-674: The extensive damages, SP petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the SD&AE on August 9, 1977. The MTDB immediately began studying the SD&AE corridor between downtown San Diego and the San Ysidro Port of Entry for joint use by electric light rail and freight trains. In June 1978, the MTDB found the entire joint-use project feasible. At the same time, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors became concerned about
1683-420: The hurricane-damaged line. The deal closed on August 20, 1979, with the final acquisition occurring on November 1, 1979. The MTDB quickly secured a deal with the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad to continue freight service along the line. The purchase gave MTDB ownership of two sections of right-of-way that could be used for mass transit: the SD&AE Main Line from downtown San Diego to San Ysidro, and
1734-428: The jointed rail, constructing electric catenaries, and installing an absolute block signal system. Funding for the project came entirely from Transportation Development Act state sales tax and local gas tax revenues. Federal funds were not actively sought due to the locally perceived notion that San Diego would not qualify due to low population densities, uncongested highways, and undefined corridors. In August 1980,
1785-536: The late 2000s, as parts of the San Diego Trolley approached 30 years old, the system was in need of an overhaul of its oldest facilities. Also, after the success of the low-floor trolley cars on the Green Line, the MTS wanted to operate similar vehicles on all lines. Officials secured $ 660 million in funding after the 2008 election as voters passed the TransNet half-cent local sales tax and two statewide transportation bond measures. The project also received funding from
1836-479: The new low-floor LRVs in the front and back, and an older high-floor Siemens SD-100 car in the middle. In late 2010, work to rebuild the stations started at Old Town Transit Center and worked south. By September 2, 2012, work was completed on the Old Town and Bayshore lines, allowing for a realignment of service. The Green Line was extended from its former western terminus in Old Town south to 12th & Imperial Transit Center 's Bayside Terminal platform, while
1887-431: The new route took over service to Santee, and the Orange Line was truncated to Gillespie Field . The September 2012 system redesign truncated the Orange Line once again to El Cajon. Following the sale of the naming rights of the Green Line to Sycuan Casino , the station was renamed El Cajon–Sycuan. However, this is no longer the case. The April 2018 system redesign extended the Orange Line to Arnele Avenue , following
1938-501: The opening of Courthouse station in April 2018. Courthouse became the line's current western terminus, and the one-stop extension to Arnele was meant to relieve congestion and confusion at El Cajon. In 2024, a third track was added to the station, and the eastern platform was extended to allow shuttle trains to terminate there. The Copper Line then began service on September 29, operating between this new platform and Santee , and allowing
1989-470: The other stations are located in the cities of Chula Vista , El Cajon , La Mesa , Lemon Grove , National City , and Santee . Most of the stations in the San Diego Trolley system are 'at-grade' stations. There are 10 aerial stations, mostly on the Blue Line, with some on the Green Line. For the Blue Line, these are Nobel Drive , VA Medical Center , UC San Diego Central Campus , UC San Diego Health La Jolla , Executive Drive , and UTC Transit Center. For
2040-418: The potential loss of freight service on the SD&AE, which was seen as vital to the county's economic interests and the continued viability of San Diego as a deep-water port. The county commissioned its own study to examine using a portion of the SD&AE tracks for passenger service which would share the track with freight services, the motivation being the transit services could share the costs of maintaining
2091-551: The same time, a working paper presented an evaluation of four guideway technologies: light rail, two categories of heavy rail, and Automated Small Vehicle Transit . In August 1977, the MTDB board selected the South Bay region for the detailed Phase 2 study. There would be several potential corridors to consider, including along freeways (Interstate highways I-5, I-8 & I-805 and State Routes 94 & 16), along existing railroad rights-of-way, and arterial roads. In October 1977
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2142-415: The same time, the South Line (which now traveled north of downtown San Diego to Old Town) and East Line of the system were renamed the Blue Line and the Orange Line, respectively. The Mission Valley East extension, which opened on July 10, 2005, built the only underground station in the system at San Diego State University , as well as its highest elevated station at Grantville. This line was then renamed
2193-480: The switch to low-floor LRVs was that the traditional Siemens S70 , like those ordered for the Green Line, were over 90 feet (27 m) long, so a three-car train would not fit within downtown San Diego's 240 feet (73 m) blocks. The MTS teamed up with the Utah Transit Authority, which faced a similar problem with its system. The solution for both agencies was a specialized design Siemens called
2244-523: The three major lines. Since the opening of the Copper Line, riders bound for Arnele Avenue , Gillespie Field , or Santee must transfer at El Cajon Transit Center . Six trolley stations are end-of-line stations: 12th & Imperial Transit Center, Courthouse, El Cajon Transit Center, Santee, San Ysidro Transit Center , and UTC Transit Center . Thirty-seven stations are within the city limits of San Diego , serving various neighborhoods in San Diego ;
2295-585: The tracks. San Diego County proposed operating either commuter rail trains or self-powered diesel rail cars . In 1978, the Interstate Commerce Commission denied the request to abandon the SD&AE, prompting Southern Pacific to offer the railroad for sale to anyone willing to maintain freight operations on the line. The MTDB stepped in and offered to buy the SD&AE for $ 18.1 million if the Southern Pacific fully repaired
2346-467: The trolley had the highest ridership of any light rail system in the United States, with 38,047,300 annual rides, or about 129,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. 2023 is the 42nd anniversary of the San Diego Trolley, and the MTS has prepared a brief historical review of San Diego trolleys, and in particular the San Diego Trolley. MTS also has a more extensive slideshow and timeline available. The last day of streetcar operation in San Diego
2397-430: The trolley system's stations operate as transfer stations, which allow passengers to transfer between lines. 12th & Imperial Transit Center allows for transferring between the Blue, Green, and Orange lines, serving as a universal transfer point for most riders in the system. The adjacent Santa Fe Depot / America Plaza / Courthouse stations, which are within walking distance of each other, also allow for transfer among
2448-484: Was new for the United States , but was well established in Germany . On September 10, 1976, nature intervened, setting off a chain of events that would help decide the corridor to be used. Hurricane Kathleen destroyed parts of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE) Desert Line (east of San Diego), which at the time was owned by Southern Pacific (SP) railroad. The SD&AE offered freight service with
2499-503: Was April 23, 1949. On July 19, 1981 electric railcars returned to San Diego streets on the first modern American light rail system integrated with its bus system. Electric rail service in San Diego traces its roots back to 1891 when John D. Spreckels incorporated the San Diego Electric Railway . San Diego's streetcar system had been replaced with buses in 1949, and by 1966 the local bus company, San Diego Transit,
2550-676: Was facing a financial crisis and public takeover. Planning for mass transit in the San Diego region began in 1966 under the auspices of the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO, now known as the San Diego Association of Governments , SANDAG), an intergovernmental agency of 13 cities and San Diego County. Over the next decade, the CPO researched various technologies including improvements to local buses, express buses, heavy rail, light rail, and advanced technologies. The CPO also closely studied
2601-566: Was used was the Compass Card .) Roving transit enforcement personnel conduct random ticket inspections throughout the system. If customers are caught without a valid fare, they may be fined. Based on frequent security inspections, nearly 98% of the 37 million patrons have proper fares. John D. Spreckels Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
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