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The following is a list of transportation options in San Diego County, California.
| | This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards.(November 2023) |
The following is a list of transportation options in San Diego County, California.
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail that serves the metropolitan area including central San Diego, East County, South County to the border.
The San Diego Coast Express Rail, or COASTER is a forty-one-mile commuter rail line that connects the North County to central San Diego. Eight stations in total are served, between Oceanside and Downtown San Diego.
The SPRINTER is a 22-mile light rail line between Oceanside and Escondido, California. Fifteen stations are served, including stops in the cities of Oceanside (western terminus), Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido (eastern terminus).
SPRINTER service is operated with Siemens Sprinter diesel multiple units manufactured in Germany, where they are widely used.
The Pacific Surfliner is a 350-mile (563 km) Amtrak passenger train route serving communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo with stops in Los Angeles.
Metrolink is a commuter rail network connecting major cities in Southern California including San Diego via transfers at Oceanside, Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Riverside. Metrolink does not serve the immediate San Diego area, just Oceanside in northern San Diego County.
Buses in San Diego County are operated by two agencies: MTS and NCTD. A third agency, CTS (County Transit System) formerly operated in the eastern and southern suburbs and Poway but was integrated into MTS in 2002.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is the public transit service provider for Central, South, and East San Diego County. MTS operating subsidiaries include the San Diego Trolley, Incorporated (SDTI) and San Diego Transit, Corporation (SDTC). San Diego Transit directly operates approximately half of all fixed-route bus services within its service area. The remainder is provided under contractual agreements with Transdev or Southland Transportation Services. Some MTS bus routes connect to Breeze services in Escondido or Ramona in the NCTD service area.
MTS also provides the MTS Access service (provided under contractual agreement with First Transit) throughout its service area. This service is a point-to-point service provided upon request by passengers who qualify for special assistance under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). This service is available in most of the cities of San Diego and Poway, as well as most of the southern and eastern suburbs of San Diego, and connections are available to a similar NCTD service.
The city of Chula Vista contracts with Transdev to provide fixed-route bus service.
The North County Transit District's (NCTD) "BREEZE" operates 34 bus routes in the northern portion of the county from Del Mar, Escondido, and Ramona, to Orange County and Riverside County lines. Routes are in the 300 and 400 series (with the exception of route 101).
Bus Passes and transfers may be used both on MTS and NCTD services including the bus and the trolley, but the use of the COASTER] may require an upgrade.
In addition, express buses from the Riverside Transit Agency connect Temecula with Oceanside and Escondido.
MTS and NCTD operate bus rapid transit lines in San Diego County. Breeze Rapid and SuperLoop are BRT-lite implementations in Escondido and University City respectively. There is a signal priority and dedicated stations but no dedicated lanes or similar infrastructure. MTS launched MTS Rapid service along the I-15 corridor June 8, 2014, launched San Diego State University and Downtown San Diego and launched Otay Mesa and Downtown San Diego in 2015.
San Diego County has an extensive network of public roadways that allows vehicle drivers and bicyclists convenient direct access to all practical destinations in the county. Major freeways were built and repeatedly expanded to serve the needs of commuters [1] coming into the city from the suburban regions of North County, South Bay, and East County, as well as the Tijuana metropolitan area.
San Diego is the terminus of three primaries interstate highways. Interstate 5 begins at the U.S.-Mexico border and heads north to Los Angeles. Interstate 8 begins at the Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach, and heads east to the Imperial Valley and Arizona. Interstate 15 begins as State Route 15 at Interstate 5 in Southeast San Diego near the 32nd Street Naval Station, becomes a formal interstate at Interstate 8 in Mission Valley, then heads northeast to the Inland Empire and then Las Vegas.
Public bikeways in San Diego County consisting of Class 1 bike paths, which are separate from the public roads, Class 2 bike lanes, which are demarcated space on the roadways designated to be used primary by bicyclists, and Class 3 bike routes, which are regular surface streets designated as being particularly attractive to bicyclists. SANDAG publishes a map that shows all of these bikeways in the greater San Diego Metropolitan area annually, and it is available at most local bike shops.
San Diego International Airport is the only airport in San Diego County to have commercial air service, though formerly McClellan–Palomar Airport in Carlsbad also had commercial air service. [2]
San Diego International Airport is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the world, with approximately 600 departures and arrivals carrying an average of over 55,000 passengers a day, and over 24 million passengers a year.
However, it occupies a much smaller footprint compared to other airports in the United States. As a result, recently, numerous plans have been proposed to either add another airport in the area or relocate it entirely.
Since December 9, 2015, the Cross Border Xpress terminal in Otay Mesa has given direct access to Tijuana International Airport, with passengers walking across the U.S.–Mexico border on a footbridge to catch their flight on the Mexican side. It is the only airport in the world with terminals located on the territory of two countries. [3]
The Coronado Commuter Ferry takes morning and afternoon commuters across San Diego Bay from the Broadway Pier, San Diego and the Coronado Ferry Landing. San Diego Harbor Excursion operates ferry shuttles directly to and from the Broadway Pier, San Diego, the Coronado Ferry Landing and the Fifth Avenue Landing.
PRONTO is the universal electronic fare system used in San Diego County. It replaced the previous smart card system, Compass. Fares are paid either with the mobile app or the reloadable contactless smart card and accepted on different systems such as MTS buses, the San Diego Trolley, North County Buses, the Coaster, and the Sprinter.
There are a variety of taxi companies that are legally allowed to operate in the San Diego area. The general rate of each trip is $3/mile and there is an additional fee tacked on of $2 when being picked up from an airport. The RideYellow app launched in 2016 [4] and provides a steep discount of 33% off of each ride taken through the app in order to compete with other ridesharing platforms. [5]
Transportation in Boston includes roadway, subway, regional rail, air, and sea options for passenger and freight transit in Boston, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates the Port of Boston, which includes a container shipping facility in South Boston, and Logan International Airport, in East Boston. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates bus, subway, short-distance rail, and water ferry passenger services throughout the city and region. Amtrak operates passenger rail service to and from major Northeastern cities, and a major bus terminal at South Station is served by varied intercity bus companies. The city is bisected by major highways I-90 and I-93, the intersection of which has undergone a major renovation, nicknamed the Big Dig.
Coaster is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States, operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The 41-mile (66 km) commuter rail line features eight stops, with a travel time of about an hour and five minutes end-to-end. The service operates primarily during weekday peak periods, with limited midday, weekend and holiday service. The Coaster first entered service on February 27, 1995, and has since grown in ridership and capacity. In 2022, the line had a ridership of 735,100, or about 2,700 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2023.
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc., is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical component of the MTS, with connections to and integrated travel tickets with the local bus systems. There is one downtown station which is a universal transfer point on the system, and 13 other stations that provide transfers to a second line.
The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company is a short-line American railroad founded in 1906 as the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) by sugar magnate, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. Dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved, the line was established in part to provide San Diego with a direct rail link to the east by connecting with the Southern Pacific Railroad lines in El Centro, California.
The San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SD&IV) is a class III railroad operating freight rail service in the San Diego area, providing service to customers in the region and moving railcars between the end of the BNSF Railway in Downtown San Diego and the Mexico–United States border in San Ysidro. The railroad has exclusive trackage rights to operate over tracks of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transit System, the regional public transit service provider. Tracks are shared with the San Diego Trolley, another subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transit System, and freight trains are only operated at night when passenger service is not in operation. The San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad was established in October 1984 and is owned and operated by Genesee & Wyoming, a holding company that operates more than 100 shortline railroads like the SD&IV.
People in the San Francisco Bay Area rely on a complex multimodal transportation infrastructure consisting of roads, bridges, highways, rail, tunnels, airports, seaports, and bike and pedestrian paths. The development, maintenance, and operation of these different modes of transportation are overseen by various agencies, including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Association of Bay Area Governments, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. These and other organizations collectively manage several interstate highways and state routes, eight passenger rail networks, eight trans-bay bridges, transbay ferry service, local and transbay bus service, three international airports, and an extensive network of roads, tunnels, and bike paths.
Sprinter is a hybrid rail service operating in the North County area of San Diego County between the cities of Escondido and Oceanside, California, United States. The service uses the 22-mile (35 km) Escondido Subdivision of the San Diego Northern Railroad. Station platforms were constructed for the line's fifteen stations serving the cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido. The line provides service to California State University, San Marcos and Palomar College. Sprinter service operates every 30 minutes and is targeted towards students and commuters.
The North County Transit District is the agency responsible for public transportation in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the Coaster commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Diego, the SPRINTER hybrid rail service between Escondido and Oceanside, the BREEZE transit bus service, LIFT paratransit service, and FLEX on-demand and point-deviation service.
Oceanside Transit Center is a major railway interchange in Oceanside, California, serving both intercity and suburban/commuter services. The station is used by Amtrak on the route of its Pacific Surfliner service between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. It is also a terminus for two different regional transit operators – Metrolink, the commuter rail operator for the Los Angeles area, has two of its services, the Orange County Line and Inland Empire–Orange County Line, that terminate at Oceanside, while the North County Transit District, the operator for most of the public transport in North San Diego County, has its COASTER] and SPRINTER services also terminating at Oceanside. Oceanside Transit Center is also served by Greyhound Lines, numerous BREEZE buses, and is also the terminal for Riverside Transit Agency's Bus Route 202 to Temecula and Murrieta. COASTER and Metrolink trains going out of service will head to Stuart Mesa but due to the small facility, some Metrolinks set will either be kept at the nearby Fallbrook Yard or stored on an empty track south of the station.
Old Town Transit Center, also known as San Diego–Old Town station or Old Town San Diego station, is an intermodal transportation station located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, the COASTER commuter rail service, and the San Diego Trolley, as well as numerous San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus lines.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is a public transit service provider for Central, South, Northeast, and Southeast San Diego County. The agency directly operates a large transit system that includes the MTS Bus, San Diego Trolley light rail, and Rapid bus rapid transit services. The MTS also controls the San Diego and Arizona Eastern (SD&AE) freight railway and regulates taxicabs, jitneys, and other private for-hire passenger transportation services.
California's transportation system is complex and dynamic. Although known for its car culture and extensive network of freeways and roads, the state also has a vast array of rail, sea, and air transport. Several subway, light rail, and commuter rail networks are found in many of the state's largest population centers. In addition, with the state's location on the West Coast of the United States, several important ports in California handle freight shipments from the Pacific Rim and beyond. A number of airports are also spread out across the state, ranging from small general aviation airports to large international hubs like Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.
Greater Los Angeles has a complex multimodal transportation infrastructure, which serves as a regional, national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic. The transportation system of Greater Los Angeles includes the United States' largest port complex, seven commuter rail lines, Amtrak service, a subway system within the city of Los Angeles, and numerous highways. Los Angeles is integrated into the Interstate Highway System by Interstate 5, Interstate 10, and Interstate 15, along with numerous auxiliary highways and state routes. Bus service is also included locally within the area by numerous local government agencies. Subways and light commuter rail lines are present within Los Angeles proper, allowing mass transportation within the city. Commuter railroads are run by Metrolink. Amtrak has numerous railroad lines that connect Los Angeles to the rest of the country.
Transportation in San Diego consists of a variety of air, road, sea, and public transportation options.
Escondido Transit Center is a bus and train station located in Downtown Escondido, California. It serves as the current eastern terminus of the North County Transit District's SPRINTER hybrid rail line and the northern terminus of the BREEZE Rapid bus rapid transit line. There are plans to extend the SPRINTER service to the Westfield North County mall in southern Escondido, north of Lake Hodges.
The Escondido Sub is a 22-mile (35 km) branch railway line between Oceanside, California and Escondido, California, in the North County region of San Diego County. It is primarily used today by the Sprinter hybrid rail and local freight trains serving Escondido industries late at night, after the last Sprinter train of the day is taken out of service.
Breeze Rapid is a brand of bus service with bus rapid transit characteristics operated by North County Transit District (NCTD) in North County, San Diego. Its first and only route (350) was introduced in 2011.
Atlanta's transportation system is a complex infrastructure of several systems, including 47.6 miles of heavy rail, 91 bus transit routes, 1,600 licensed taxis, a comprehensive network of freeways, the world's busiest airport and over 45 miles of bike paths.
Rapid is the brand name given to the bus rapid transit system in San Diego County, California. The system serves nearly half the county, operating mainly on the HOV lanes on Interstates 15 and 805, with most of the stops also served by other routes. In addition, there are stations, dubbed as CenterLine in the medians of Interstate 15, Park Boulevard in San Diego and on East Palomar Street in Chula Vista, that are designed in a similar manner to the light rail stations. The system operates with a dedicated fleet, although buses from the Mainline fleet are regularly substituted. The system is administered, built and managed by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and is operated as part of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).
