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Susan advocates for lowering carbon emissions at an Earth Day gathering in Ocean Beach.

Transportation

As a frequent traveler herself, Susan can certainly appreciate the need for safe, efficient transport routes that meet the demands of our nation's active commuters! 

In San Diego, we are fortunate to have an extensive freeway and bus system as well as trolley and commuter rail which continue to evolve in response to technological advancements and our growing population.  Susan understands, however, that San Diego lags behind many cities its size when it comes to transit and there is always room for improvement.

Adding more freeway lanes alone will not solve our traffic problems in the long run.  Instead, we need to improve the efficiency, speed and convenience of our public transportation systems to get cars and trucks off the road.  To keep San Diego's transportation infrastructure viable and accessible, we must also improve our light rail commuter trolley and railroad transportation systems.  Clearly these projects are a first step rather than a final solution.  Susan continues to be a strong advocate to enhance our public transit infrastructure and other smart growth policies.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is currently working through the process of reauthorizing the multi-year surface transportation bill.  Its last iteration was the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 2005.  With this year’s bill, her focus is on ensuring economic vitality and using transit as a method to transform the way San Diegans travel.

You can find Susan’s San Diego SAFETEA-LU requests here:

High Priority Projects Submitted for Surface Transportation Reauthorization Legislation

Conduct Preliminary Engineering, Final Design and Construction, Mid-Coast Extension, San Diego, CA
Request: New Start

The Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project will extend light rail transit (LRT) service from the Old Town Transit Center to the University City community serving major activity centers such as the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), University Towne Centre (UTC), Old Town, and downtown San Diego.

This project will improve public transit services and connect corridor residents with other Trolley lines serving Old Town, Centre City San Diego, Mission Valley, South County communities to the international border, and East County communities to Santee, thereby enhancing direct public access to other regional activity centers.

The requested New Starts funds would be used, along with TransNet local matching funds, to complete alternatives analysis; to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report; and to design, engineer and construct the project. 

Design of the State Route 75/282 Transportation Corridor Project
Request: $10,000,000

The project is located on California State Route 75 and State Route 282 (SR 75/282) known as Third Street and Fourth Street in the City of Coronado.  The project proposes a major transportation infrastructure improvement for the SR 75/282 TCP to reduce congestion and improve mobility, accessibility, and safety conflicts with school crossings, pedestrian, and bicycle access.  This corridor is the most heavily traveled residential corridor in SD County.  The City of Coronado will utilize the requested funds for design of the “preferred alternative.”

Plan, design, engineer, conduct environmental review, realign, rehabilitate, and construct improvements to light-rail infrastructure on the C Street Corridor, San Diego, CA
Request: $8,400,000

The project addresses capacity, safety, and accessibility problems at the downtown center corridor of the light-rail network through which a substantial portion of regional ridership passes.  The project improves circulation in the city core and connections among primary residential, employment, commercial, and government centers.  Outdated infrastructure and a forecasted 183% growth in peak-hour ridership require improvements to accommodate new train cars and traffic patterns.

Environmental clearance, design and construction of two transit stations at El Cajon Blvd. and University Ave, San Diego, CA
Request: $8,000,000

This project has regional significance as it provides congestion relief in a major goods movement corridor and is a segment in a regional HOV lane and bus rapid transit (BRT) service network.  The facilities will support fixed-route transit operations which will contribute to increasing the mode share for commute alternatives to driving alone.  The project also enhances the ability for its area’s residents to access employment in the region.

Conduct Design, Right of way acquisition and Construction, 10th Avenue Port Access Improvement Project, San Diego, CA
Request: $5,000,000

The primary project benefit is to improve access to and from the San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD) marine terminal and Working Waterfront.  These improvements will accommodate future truck traffic increases as well as meet the broader goal of maintaining the economic vitality and viability of the Working Waterfront.  These improvements will enhance the well-being of the Barrio Logan community and other surrounding communities.

Environmental, Preliminary Engineering, and Design, Airport Intermodal Transportation Center, San Diego, CA
Request: $4,800,000

The Airport Intermodal Transportation Center is a creative regional approach that brings together state, city, regional and airport planning to develop workable strategies to improve the performance of the regional airport system in combination with identifying key multimodal improvements in surface transportation to airports.

Design, engineer, install, and construct road capacity, transit lane, pedestrian, and other traffic flow and safety enhancements in the University Avenue Corridor, consistent with the University Avenue Mobility Plan, San Diego, CA
Request: $4,320,000

The project supports implementation of a region-wide “Smart Growth” development initiative, located in one of only five designated redevelopment “City of Villages” project areas along the busiest bus line corridor in the San Diego metro region.  The initiative is intended to demonstrate coordinated regional planning with transit service, housing, and employment strategies along traditional commercial corridors, and includes funding from the Metropolitan Planning Organization.