The commute from Oceanside to downtown San Diego will get a lot easier after the inauguration of the COASTER rail service for the month of October was announced Thursday, Sept. 30. The service will provide 30 trips daily, Monday through Friday, with an additional two trips added on Fridays. There will be 20 daily trips offered on Saturdays and Sundays year-round.
Starting Oct. 25, travellers commuting along the Interstate 5 corridor will be encouraged to leave their vehicles at home and use the COASTER service to get to entertainment events and work. Tony Kranz, the North County Transit District board chair, believes that the new form of transportation will be a more reliable and viable option for getting commuters “where you want to go, when you want to go.”
The expanded service is fully funded through TransNet, a countywide half-cent sales tax used to fund transportation projects. It was approved by voters in 2004 and is administered by the San Diego Association of Governments. NCTD also received five new locomotives that will provide a quieter, smoother ride for travellers.
Easing travel from Oceanside to the downtown area will likely make downtown San Diego real estate more attractive to investors. Commuters who would otherwise choose to avoid the I-5 corridor will now not think twice about making their trip to downtown San Diego for their retail, dining, and entertainment needs.
As environmental awareness continues to gain popularity, spending projects on public transportation will continue popping up, especially in cities and areas with a lot of individual vehicles. Efforts are currently being made at the federal level to discourage drivers from using their own personal vehicles and, instead, rely on public transportation, There are currently mixed emotions regarding public transportation, but that’s arguably because the concept has yet to be perfected, New options for San Diego commuters will do wonders for the city’s traffic control.