SDMTS is doing a feasibility study for a streetcar line that will run from Downtown to the San Diego Zoo to Balboa Park. The route will be 1.5 miles long along Park Blvd. from Broadway to Zoo Pl.
There are five options ranging in factors such as parking lane, median, mixed flow travel lane, and bicycle facility. “Mixed flow” lanes, common in Portland and other cities with light rail, allow cars to travel on the rail tracks, making more efficient use of space. Other decisions include which type of streetcar to use: vintage (historical), replica (modern but vintage in looks), or modern cars.
Capital costs are estimated at $66.8 – $77.7 million, and operating cost $1.1 million annually. Once a project is identified and funded, it will take 5 years to complete.
For more information, view the presentation notes here.
About Dianne Yee
I hope this becomes reality. In addition to reconnecting downtown with the City’s central park (divided since the construction of I-5), it will also avail park-goers with downtown’s substantial parking resources, which are most available during the Park’s peak demand times – as anyone who has been forced to park downtown and walk to the Park during the December Nights Celebration can attest. However, this should have come as first priority before the approved bypass bridge and parking structure project for the park, which will likely leave little in financial and motivational resources for such a project. If it happens though, my vote is for Christian Chaffee’s Historic Streetcar project, which use Spreckle’s original San Diego open air streetcars built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
I hope this becomes reality. In addition to reconnecting downtown with the City’s central park (divided since the construction of I-5), it will also avail park-goers with downtown’s substantial parking resources, which are most available during the Park’s peak demand times – as anyone who has been forced to park downtown and walk to the Park during the December Nights Celebration can attest. However, this should have come as first priority before the approved bypass bridge and parking structure project for the park, which will likely leave little in financial and motivational resources for such a project. If it happens though, my vote is for Christian Chaffee’s Historic Streetcar project, which use Spreckle’s original San Diego open air streetcars built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
what i would like to know is, why aren’t they extending the line to park and university? there are plenty of pedestrians on university who, i’m sure, would love to just hop on a light rail to walk around the park. also i believe it would be a good idea for this light rail to run all the way to santa fe dept so that people in uptown can efficiently get downtown to hop on the amtrak/coaster. it’s all about interconnectivity and grabbing more ridership, which definitely won’t happen if it’s just a “fancy little ride” to the park from downtown!!