Reader Larry Little wants to know about the trolley system:
Are there still plans to extend the Green line from Santee all the way to downtown and eliminate the forced transfer at Old Town? It seems to me that the reason for the transfer at Old Town was that the older stations between Old Town and Downtown couldn’t handle the newer type Trolley cars. The plans then were to eventually redo those stops. What happens when the older Trolley cars give out and are no longer available? It seems the transit people have forgotten about this. The transfer is inconvenient, adds 5 to 10 minutes to the trip and is very confusing for visitors.
MTS spokesman Rob Schupp told me just now that yes, the agency plans to eliminate the need for that transfer, and it’s working on it as I write this.
You’re right, Larry, that the problem up until now has been the Old Town Blue Line Station’s incompatibility with the newer trolley cars that run on the Green Line.
MTS plans to raise the platform on older stations to accommodate the 57 new low-floor trolley cars it just approved funding for this month. The modifications will align the platform with the new cars’ low floors and allow level boarding. This will ensure the system meets ADA accessibility regulations.
Schupp said that upgrades to the Old Town station will start in about six months and should be completed on all the downtown stations 18 months from now. That will allow the Green Line to continue along the current Blue Line route through downtown.
“It would go through the Santa Fe Depot station and then go around the bayside and terminate at Imperial Avenue and 12th Street,” Schupp said.
Thanks for the question, Larry.
For the rest of you, send me your questions at adrian.florido@voiceofsandiego.org or on Twitter.