SANDAG’s new transportation plan hits a new altitude

Written by RT&S Staff
SANDAG
SANDAG will be matching federal funding to replace timber bridge and continue double-tracking project.
SANDAG

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) raised the curtain on a mammoth $177 billion transportation plan that will cover the next three decades.

The goal is to pull more off the highways and onto rail, as the plan will increase rail service from approximately 54 miles to 400 miles by 2050.

Commuter rail service from Oceanside to the Tijuana border is one of the highlights of the vision. It would be high-speed rail and would travel through a tunnel in dense neighborhoods. The plan also calls for bulking up the light-rail network in San Diego. Trolley tracks would extend from downtown to Balboa Park, while Sprinter service would expand to two tracks from Oceanside to Escondido. The hope is it will improve speeds and frequency.

SANDAG says it wants to reach out to voters to help with funding. A full-cent increase in the regional sales tax could be on the ballot as early as 2022.

SANDAG plans on providing a more detailed version of the plan by the end of the year. An environmental impact report is expected by next spring, and SANDAG could approve the plan in late 2021.

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