The MTB is largely unresponsive to the mass transit commuters in SD. The MTB is essentially autonomous government organization which is does not answer to anyone. Let's remember that they are appointed. So they do not have to worry about being voted out of office.
If you look at the transit map (http://www.sdmts.com/Bus/Regional_Map.asp ) you will notice that the majority of routes are concentrated in the Clairemont/Kearney Mesa area and Downtown North Park areas. The really ironic thing is that Clairemont/ Kearney Mesa area has one of the largest concentration of workers yet it has the worst bus service. One reason why the buses are so late is because the routes are so long. Sorrento Valley also has little or no bus service as well.
The Coaster is another example of commuter waste. We have commuter trains that take people up and down the coast only in the mornings and afternoons. Yet the trains sit there all day long in downtown or by Camp Pendelton. It almost seems cheaper to build overhead lines for the trolley or let Amtrak handle the traffic. Or why isn't the locomotives being used to haul other types of freight during the day....?
A few years back the MTS said they were going to re-design the bus routes to improve service. So far there has been little improvement. If the MTB wants to improve service why not eliminate redundant bus routes that cover the same street. Why does the MTS need 2 or 3 buses on El Cajon blvd.
The trolley is a bit better, but it's largely a showboat project for the MTS. Back in the early 90's the MTB purchased some new trolleys so that they could go faster. This idea was that the tracks would be upgraded to allow for the increased speed. There was a pile of cement ties by Palomar street that sat there for 7 or 8 years. The MTS was going to hire a contracting company do install the cement railroad ties, but MTS union demanded union workers. So this is why the cement ties sat there.
The bus drivers union is a dirty little secret why the fares are so high now. Back in the mid 80's the bus drivers went into binding arbritration with the MTB for almost 10 years. During this time period the bus drivers recieved a automatic cost of living increase because they were a civil service union.
When I was in college I used to take the bus, but I discovered that it was actually faster commute by bike than ride the bus. — September 15, 2009 12:07 a.m.
Media publication says Manchester might sell
I think it's odd that Manchester would sell the UT after only 2 years and making acquisitions of newspapers the past year or so. My only guess is that he is hoping sell UT and retain the land. The UT's circulation has continued to drop so perhaps he figures it's time to cut his losses and sell. The other factor to consider is that Manchester has not put much resources into the paper other than UTTV which is now a online web channel broadcast only.— April 6, 2014 7:34 p.m.
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I really miss the big theaters San Diego had in the past. The Valley circle had such a large screen that your eyes would not see the left and right edges of the screen. While I understand the economics of the movie theater business it's really to bad we did not save at least one of them. The old Bookstar in Pt Loma has those wonderful ceiling murals from the Loma theate. I amazed that the ceiling is still in such good shape.— May 21, 2012 10:48 p.m.
The East Village PLAN??
One possible solution would be to encourage downtown employers such as contractors or hotels to hire homeless people.— September 2, 2010 12:14 a.m.
Get Used to Unemployment
#175, SP DB: We should fine the employers 100,000 per illegal alien and implements a tip rewards program. The tipster would get 50,000 per illegal. We could eliminate a lot of illegal immigration this way. SP: There is a lot of people in construction industry because the illegals come over hear and undercut their wages. The some contractors who hire only Mexicans. A few years back a study came out that said: 70% of the construction industry is Hispanic's and 50% of those were illegal aliens. We send the illegals back and let those come back where they are needed. It's ridiculous to let illegal immigration run rampant when unemployment is so high.— August 25, 2010 11:17 p.m.
Get Used to Unemployment
@66 One reason why the middle class has not benefited more in SD is because the wealthy have not invested in more productive areas. A lot of the wealthy invested in real estate and in the stock market. Real estate investments does not produce a lot of long term jobs for the local economy. We need to lower the cost of doing business and find ways to incenting companies to invest here. I know some very large apt owners in SD and they buy up buildings and sit on the money and collect rent. This does very little to create new jobs. On a national level we need to cut taxes and dramatically reduce the size of government. Govt is is simply wasteful and Obama seems primarily interested in increasing the size of it.— August 22, 2010 1:46 a.m.
Escondido traffic checkpoints take families' cars
The cops are going overboard Escondido. The 30 day min impound is ridiculous scam to gouge the public. I can understand impounding a car for a expired drivers license or DUI. Sure some people forget the proof of insurance at home and the cops will issue a ticket or you pay a fine when go to court.— August 6, 2010 2:35 p.m.
When nobody's going to Tijuana, I can't help thinking about Mexico
I go down to TJ a few times a year for dental work and thats enough. I go down during the day and I am not to worried about the crime. But I really wonder what the city mayor and government is thinking when so much of TJ's economy is tourist related. It's simply ridiculous to let all the crime and drugs run rampant. I usually go down mid mornings or late afternoons and TJ is a like a ghost town. The main reason is to avoid the heat in TJ. I always walk and wear shoes with a lot of support. The other reason I avoid TJ is because it is so dirty. TJ is in desperate need of some street sweeping on a regular basis.— November 11, 2009 11:29 p.m.
Mark-Elliott Lugo says San Diego Transit worse every year
#2 The bus company is free to raise the fares whenever they want. They are a government entity so profit and customer service does not matter to them. It is the riders that get hurt.— September 16, 2009 2:41 p.m.
Mark-Elliott Lugo says San Diego Transit worse every year
The MTB is largely unresponsive to the mass transit commuters in SD. The MTB is essentially autonomous government organization which is does not answer to anyone. Let's remember that they are appointed. So they do not have to worry about being voted out of office. If you look at the transit map (http://www.sdmts.com/Bus/Regional_Map.asp ) you will notice that the majority of routes are concentrated in the Clairemont/Kearney Mesa area and Downtown North Park areas. The really ironic thing is that Clairemont/ Kearney Mesa area has one of the largest concentration of workers yet it has the worst bus service. One reason why the buses are so late is because the routes are so long. Sorrento Valley also has little or no bus service as well. The Coaster is another example of commuter waste. We have commuter trains that take people up and down the coast only in the mornings and afternoons. Yet the trains sit there all day long in downtown or by Camp Pendelton. It almost seems cheaper to build overhead lines for the trolley or let Amtrak handle the traffic. Or why isn't the locomotives being used to haul other types of freight during the day....? A few years back the MTS said they were going to re-design the bus routes to improve service. So far there has been little improvement. If the MTB wants to improve service why not eliminate redundant bus routes that cover the same street. Why does the MTS need 2 or 3 buses on El Cajon blvd. The trolley is a bit better, but it's largely a showboat project for the MTS. Back in the early 90's the MTB purchased some new trolleys so that they could go faster. This idea was that the tracks would be upgraded to allow for the increased speed. There was a pile of cement ties by Palomar street that sat there for 7 or 8 years. The MTS was going to hire a contracting company do install the cement railroad ties, but MTS union demanded union workers. So this is why the cement ties sat there. The bus drivers union is a dirty little secret why the fares are so high now. Back in the mid 80's the bus drivers went into binding arbritration with the MTB for almost 10 years. During this time period the bus drivers recieved a automatic cost of living increase because they were a civil service union. When I was in college I used to take the bus, but I discovered that it was actually faster commute by bike than ride the bus.— September 15, 2009 12:07 a.m.
PB Police Prepare for Beach Booze Ban
The weekend crowds have been fairly sparse in PB. Memorial Day was fairly slow as well. I just hope the cops don't insist on bringing out the horse patrols again. A few years back they brought the horses on the beach and they pooped all over and really stank up the beach.— June 19, 2008 4:56 p.m.