This Month
SANDAG newsletter
provides information
on key projects & services
SANDAG year in review
Hundreds celebrate
SPRINTER grand opening
Fare Facts: A guide to
regional transit fares
2008 Diamond Awards
Increase workplace
flexibility with free workshop
Bayshore Bikeway
named trail of the month
Regional sediment management workshop
December Board Actions available online
SANDAG year in review
2007 was a banner year for SANDAG and the San Diego region. The Board of Directors was expanded to include tribal government representation, 511 - a new transportation information service was launched, a new freeway opened, a new rail line was celebrated, and millions of dollars in bond money was awarded to San Diego County. Let’s review more highlights.
In January 2007, a San Diego County representative from the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA) took its place on the SANDAG Board of Directors and Policy Committees.
In February, the region dialed in to the new 511 service that provides real-time traffic and transit information, connections to roadside assistance, and commute information to residents. Accessed via the phone or Web at www.511sd.com, San Diego joins a number of regions around the country with this new service.
In the spring, the California Transportation Commission announced that SANDAG will receive $432 million as part of the competitive $4.5 billion Corridor Mobility Improvement Account for the I-15 Managed Lanes and High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes on Interstate 805 near the Sorrento Mesa employment center. In October 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined a host of local and state leaders for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Interstate 805 project.
San Diego also received additional funding from the California Regional Blueprint Planning Program, with a $200,000 grant to SANDAG to continue efforts to implement the agency’s innovative Regional Comprehensive Plan.
TransNet funding also was approved for the completion of the Lake Hodges bicycle and pedestrian bridge – a major route in the regional bicycle corridor network and a key link in the San Dieguito River Park's trail network. SANDAG also released the latest Regional Bicycle Map which displays the region's bike trails in color on waterproof and tear-resistant paper.
Other TransNet milestones included completion of the SR 76 Environmental Impact Report which sets the stage for the much-anticipated expansion of this highway; a plan for improvements to
the Orange and Blue trolley lines; progress on Bus Rapid Transit;
and continued expansion of the I-15 Managed Lanes.
The SANDAG Criminal Justice Research division issued numerous reports on crime data, program evaluation, and other public safety issues. One of the major reports issued showed crime continues to decline in the San Diego region with violent crime and property crime down overall 2006-2007.
Also in 2007, the California Energy Commission awarded $450,000 to SANDAG to develop analytical tools and research that focus on the relationship between land use, transportation, and energy planning.
Transit improvements included the arrival of new Metropolitan Transit System buses for I-15 commuters. At the end of the year, a host of dignitaries celebrated the opening of the SPRINTER rail line from Oceanside to Escondido.
The draft Regional Economic Prosperity Strategy was developed to identify the demographic and economic challenges facing the region and to promote a regionwide strategy to meet these challenges and improve the competitiveness of our local economy.
In fall of 2007, the SANDAG Board of Directors and the City of Tijuana approved the Otay Mesa-Mesa de Otay Binational Corridor Strategic Plan, which became the region’s first binational strategic plan.
The year concluded with the approval of the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan: Pathways for the Future. The $57 billion plan
will develop a robust Managed Lanes/HOV network that includes major four-lane managed facilities on Interstates 5, 15, and 805 and HOV facilities on State Routes 52, 78, 94, and 125. The managed lane facilities on Interstates 5 and 805 are modeled after the I-15 Managed Lanes (new carpool lanes and Bus Rapid Transit stations).
Other transportation milestones in 2007 include the opening of the I-5/805 bypass lanes and other improvements at the “merge;” SR 52 expansion; opening of SR 125, an 11-mile toll road from Spring Valley to SR 905 at the U.S./Mexico border; new bridges as part of the I-15 Managed Lanes project at Pomerado Road and Carmel Mountain; and the groundbreaking at I-5 and Lomas Santa Fe in October.
SANDAG is gearing up for another eventful year with the opening of the first stretch of the new I-15 Managed Lanes, progress on SR 905 at the U.S./Mexico border, expansion of transit use with the system improvements and the launch of the Compass Card, and more bond funding to support goods movement, Bus Rapid Transit, and new technologies.
Stay tuned to rEgion for the latest information on how SANDAG and its member agencies are working to improve the quality of life for San Diego region residents.
Project Manager:
Anne Steinberger, Marketing Program Manager
Phone: (619) 699-1937, E-mail: ast@sandag.org