>> >>PEGGY: THE MID COAST TROLLEY LINE HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE THE 1990S AND NOW
THE EXTENSION IS MOVING FORWARD.
WITH PUBLIC INPUT IN THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF MEETINGS HELD LAST NIGHT.
THE 1.7�BILLION PROJECT INCLUDES EXPANDING THE TROLLEY LINE
11MILES FROM OLD TOWN TO UC SAN DIEGO AND THE UTC AREA ALONG INTERSTATE 5 WITH ADDITIONAL
STATIONS ALONG THE WAYMENT.
HERE WITH FURTHER DETAILS ARE JIM LIGHT KM AND JOE LACAVA WITH THE LA JOLLA COMMUNITY
PLANNING ASSOCIATION.
JIM, HOW DOES THIS TROLLEY EXTENSION ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY?
>> >>JIM LINTHICUM: WHEN YOU THINK OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED THAT UTC AREA, IT IS NOW SECOND
ONLY TO DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF JOBS AS AN EMPLOYMENT AREA.
WHAT THIS 11MILE EXTENSION DOES IS IT CONNECTS THE BEDROOM COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH BAY WITH
WHERE THE JOBS ARE AND ALSO HAS OTHER BENEFITS.
IT CONNECTS THE THREE LARGEST UNIVERSITIES, UC SAN DIEGO WITH SAN DIEGO STATE, AND ALL
THE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ARE UP THERE, IT MAKES IT THAT MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE AND PATIENCE
AND WORKER TO GET TO ALL THE HOSPITAL FACILITIES.
>> >>PEGGY: KIND OF AN ALTERNATIVE TO GETTING ON THAT I5 CORRIDOR WITH ALL THAT TRAFFIC.
THIS PROJECT WAS QUITE CONTROVERSIAL FOR MANY YEARS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT FIRST STARTED.
I KNOW THERE'S NO ACTUAL ORGANIZED OPPOSITION RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW THERE'S STILL CONCERNS OVER NOISE, TRAFFIC AND AESTHETICS.
>> >>JOE LACAVA: THE COMMUNITY IS STILL VERY EXCITED.
IN TERMS OF U ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES, I THINK THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS REALLY THE BIOLOGY
OF CROSSING ROSE CREAK WHERE IT GOES UNDER SR52 BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH ACTIVITY IN THAT
LOCATION.
ALSO, ONCE IT GETS ACROSS 5 TO UCSD AND INTO UNIVERSITY CITY IT'S RR AN ABOVE GROUNDS STRUCTURE.
THE RESIDENTS AND MERCHANTS IN THAT AREA ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE AESTHETICS OF THAT
STRUCTURE ARE GOING TO LOOK.
SANDAG HAS PAID VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HOW THE SUPPORT STRUCTURES WILL LOOK.
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN� >> >>PEGGY: YOU'RE GETTING SOME PUBLIC INPUT,
THESE MEETINGS YOU'RE ACTUALLY ACCEPTING PUBLIC INPUT.
>> >>JOE LACAVA: AND ALSO PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT TO THESE COMMUNITY SESSIONS IN FORCE WHICH
IS GOOD TO SEE TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND MAKE SANDAG AWARE OF THESE ISSUES.
>> >>PEGGY: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SORT OF IMPACT.
I UNDERSTAND THE ROUTE DOESN'T RUN THROUGH ROSE CANYON DIRECTLY, BUT SORT OF ADJACENT
TO T. WHAT IS SANDAG DOING AS FAR AS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL
SIDE TO MITIGATE ANY IMPACT?
>> >>JIM LINTHICUM: WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS WHILE DEVELOPING THIS DOCUMENT
IS WE'VE WORK WOULD FORK FOLKS LIKE DEBBIE KNIGHT WITH FRIENDS OF ROSE CANYON TO TRY
TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE THE PROJECT HAVE AS LITTLE IMPACT AS THERE CAN BE.
AND IF THERE ARE IMPACTS THEN WE WANT TO FIND WAYS TO MITIGATE THEM.
THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED IN A DIRECT ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT.
I HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS LAST NIGHT WITH MS.�KNIGHT ABOUT THE IMPACTS AND WE'RE DEDICATED
TO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO MINIMIZE ANY NOISE IMPACT, VISUAL IMPACTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> >>PEGGY: JOE, YOU HAD A COMMENT ON THAT AS WELL, YOU'RE ALSO ACCEPTING LIKE WE SAID
THE COMMENTS ON FROM THE PUBLIC ON SOME IDEAS.
>> >>JOE LACAVA: THESE ARE THE COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUPS THAT SURROUND THE TROLLEY LINE AND
THEN THEY WILL FORWARD THOSE ON TO SANDAG.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE COMMENT ON THE PROJECT.
>> >>PEGGY: LAST YEAR I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A BUDGET INCREASE IN THIS, SO� WHO'S PAYING
FOR THIS, JIM, AND, UM, WHETHER WILL THIS CONSTRUCTION BEGIN?
>> >>JIM LINTHICUM: THE PROJECT IS BEING PAID FOR HALF WITH LOCAL SALES TAX REVENUES, THAT'S
CALLED TRANS NET MONEY.
THE OTHER HALF IS THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS CALLED THE NEW STARTS PROCESS ADMINISTERED
BY THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
ASSUMING ALL GOES WELL, WE HOPE TO BREAK GROUND IN 2015 AND HAVE IT OPERATING IN 2018.
A YEAR FROM NOW WE HOPE TO FINALIZE ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING.
>> >>PEGGY: I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THERE ARE ALL THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS COMING UP.
THEY CAN GO TO WERE WEBSITE KPBS.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THIS UPDATE.