The San Diego Association of Governments and the California Department of Transportation will begin transportation demand management strategies and an educational outreach campaign this fall as part of the second phase in the $6.5 billion North Coast Corridor (NCC) transportation and environmental protection program for San Diego.
The campaign follows a March 2013 release of the Public Works Plan/Transportation and Resource Enhancement Program — a blueprint of all improvements within the NCC, including the addition of a 27-mile bike trail spanning the entire North Coast Corridor and development of highway lanes and bridges and other projects aimed at creating efficient and reliable highway and transit enhancements.
According to a meeting with Project Manager Arturo Jacobo, over 30 projects are currently under development within the NCC, including 14 rail and transit projects, 10 environmental and coastal access projects and eight highway projects.
Approximately eight projects are undergoing implementation in the Golden Triangle — a section of San Diego’s University City demarcated by Interstates 5, 52 and 805 — alone, with several of them directly affecting UCSD.
One of the biggest projects will be the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, an 11-mile extension of the San Diego trolley service that was approved by SANDAG in 2010. The $1.7 billion project is receiving 50 percent of its funding from the TransNet local sales tax and 50 percent from the federal government — construction is expected to begin in 2015 with service anticipated to begin in 2018.
The projected trolley route will begin north of the Old Town Transit Center and continue east along Interstate 5 and Gilman Drive, crossing west of the interstate around UCSD’s Sixth College and east once again near the VA Medical Center and Voigt Drive, ending at the Westfield UTC.
Of the planned eight stations, three will be located within the UCSD campus, potential spots include Pepper Canyon Drive and Voigt Drive, as well as a stop at the VA Medical Center.
Public outreach for the trolley extension is still underway, with environmental documents available for review until July 16. In addition, SANDAG plans to host a public meeting at UCSD regarding the project on June 10 from 3-6 p.m. in Price Center.
In addition to the trolley, UCSD will see the construction of two new bridges — a Direct Access Ramp at Voigt Drive and a bridge across Interstate 5 at Gilman Drive — within the next 10 years.
The DAR is one of two access ramps being constructed as part of the CALTRANS I-5 Express Lanes Project that will create two Express Lanes in each direction for the interstate and access ramps that will directly connect the surface streets of Voigt Drive and Manchester Avenue to those lanes. The project will occur in three stages from 2013 to 2040, with the Voigt DAR constructed by 2020.
The $17.5 million I-5/Gilman Drive Bridge project is currently in preliminary design, with a projected completion date of Spring 2016. The bridge will occur in collaboration with UCSD Physical and Community Planning and CALTRANS — design and environmental funding will be provided by the university, with construction funding to be determined.
The proposed bridge will cross over Interstate 5 between the current La Jolla Village Drive and Voigt bridges, connecting the east and west sides of campus with a realigned Gilman Drive to Medical Center Drive connecting nearest to Thornton Hospital. The deck will contain one 11-foot wide lane each way, two five-foot wide bike paths, and a pedestrian walkway on the northern and southern sides of the bridge.
According to UCSD Director of Physical and Community Planning Brad Werdick, ongoing construction will have little impact on campus circulation.
“These transportation projects will encourage use of alternative transportation, reduce parking demand, better connect [UCSD] with other areas of San Diego and improve access for students, staff, faculty, visitors and the surrounding community,” Werdick said.
Additional projects within the NCC program include an extension of the Carroll Canyon Road and two new miles of HOV lanes — opening to traffic this year — a $587 million North Express Lanes project creating direct access ramps at Nobel Drive and Carroll Canyon Road and a $94 million Genesee Avenue Interchange Project — creating three miles of bicycle paths and widening freeway ramps.
Many projects will begin construction this coming fall and are projected to complete in the next 10 years.
Through the summer and until Fall 2013, CALTRANS and SANDAG will continue education marketing and outreach and complete their transportation demand strategies including public awareness campaigns and regional programs.
