Misplaced Pages

#652347

80-605: El Cajon Transit Center (formerly Main & Marshall station ) is a San Diego Trolley station served by the Copper , Green and Orange lines in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, California . The station is a major commuter center for the large suburb and is the convergence of multiple local and regional bus routes operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and Greyhound Lines . El Cajon opened as

160-647: A 1975 law established the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) with a clear mission: design, construct and operate a guideway transit system. The entire process was assigned to MTDB to assure accountability. The legislation was written and supported by State Senator James R. Mills , the President Pro Tem during this period and a strong transit advocate. The MTDB formally started operations on January 1, 1976. The MTDB's enabling legislation and principles adopted by

240-633: A company to establish a trade between the mainland United States and the Hawaiian Islands. The company began with one sailing vessel, the Rosario , and later controlled two large fleets of sail and steam ships. The firm also engaged extensively in sugar refining, and became agents for leading sugarcane plantations in Hawaii . Much of the development of commercial interests between the United States and Hawaii

320-412: A company which J.D.’s father—Claus Spreckels—had early financed. Prior to its becoming associated with Matson, Oceanic had under J.D.’s control owned a total 17 ships, which were the iron ship Alameda (1883), the wood schooner Anna (1881), the iron steamer Australia (1875), the wood brigantine Claus Spreckels (1879), the wood brigantine Consuelo (1880), the wood brigantine Emma Augusta (1867),

400-696: A direct rail link to the east by connecting with the Southern Pacific Railroad (which secretly provided the funding for the endeavor) lines in El Centro , California, the 148-mile (238-kilometer) route of the SD&;A originated in San Diego and terminated in the Imperial County town of Calexico . The total construction cost was approximately $ 18 million, or some $ 123,000 per mile; the original estimate

480-608: A line that traveled between downtown San Diego, San Ysidro, northern Baja California (in Mexico), and Imperial County before connecting with the rest of the SP system in Plaster City, California . The hurricane caused $ 1.3 million worth of damage to the line ($ 6.96 million adjusted for inflation), primarily in Imperial County, east of San Diego. Freight service was suspended, and in light of

560-694: A mail and passenger line to Hawaii and Australia , the Western Sugar Refining Company, the Coronado Water Company, the San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company , the San Diego and Coronado Transfer Company, the Pajaro Valley Consolidated Railroad Company, the San Diego Electric Railway, and the San Diego & Arizona Railway Company. Spreckels' first permanent residence in the San Diego area was

640-518: A new signalling system that would allow two freight trains to operate at night, rather than one. To enable the switch to a low-floor light rail vehicle (LRV) fleet, platforms at 35 stations would need to be raised from either ground level or sidewalk level (4-inch (102 mm)) to 6-inch (152 mm). Stations also needed a new "safety edge tile" with a smooth surface in the center to allow wheelchair ramps to deploy (the existing safety tile would stop ramps from fully deploying). The other complication of

720-674: A second line on March 23, 1986, that shared the same downtown tracks and traveled east to Euclid Avenue on the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE. The new route was then called the Euclid Line (part of today's Orange Line ). This line was extended to El Cajon by June 23, 1989, at which time it was renamed the East Line. Service was expanded beyond the old SD&AE right-of-way when the line was extended further, north, to Santee on August 26, 1995. The East Line's Bayside Connection extension to

800-476: A week. Limited service on particular segments is provided before 5 am and after 11:30 pm. There is no rail service between 2 am and 4 am. During these hours when there is no passenger service, freight trains of the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad operate on the trolley's right of way. Generally, trains operate every 15 minutes, seven days a week, with less frequent service during early morning and late evening hours. Additional service on

880-471: Is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The trolley operates as a critical component of MTS, with connections to and integrated travel tickets with the local bus systems. The trolley system serves 62 stations , over about 67.9 miles (109.3 km) of route, using four primary lines ( Blue , Green , Orange , and Copper ) that operate daily, and a "downtown loop" heritage streetcar line ( Silver ) that operates on holidays. There

SECTION 10

#1732863315653

960-496: Is due to this firm. The shipping and passenger line of this enterprise was the Oceanic Steamship Company, which was founded by J.D. Spreckels in 1881. Its inaugural service was between California and Hawaii and, later, also from California to Australia , New Zealand , Samoa and Tahiti . The various of the lines’ ships transported passengers, sugar and/or other food cargoes and provided mail service. For decades,

1040-574: Is now a popular boutique hotel, the Glorietta Bay Inn . John D. Spreckels built the beach house, located at 1043 Ocean Boulevard in Coronado , designed by architect Harrison Albright (1866–1932). John D. Spreckels built the Ocean Boulevard beach house for his son Claus as a wedding present in 1910 and Claus's widow, Ellis, lived there until her death in 1967. The nearby mansion at 1015 Ocean

1120-403: Is one downtown station where all the lines connect, and 13 other stations that provide transfers to a second line (two of these also provide connections to commuter rail systems). The trolley began service on July 26, 1981, making it the oldest of the second-generation light rail systems in the United States, and the success of the system helped spark a nationwide revival of light rail. In 2023,

1200-561: Is the location of the 2011 accidental death of 6-year-old Max Shacknai , son of Jonah Shacknai, former CEO of Medicis Pharmaceutical , and the contested suicide of Jonah Shacknai's girlfriend, Rebecca Zahau . Between 1911 and 1913, a class conflict between the International Workers of the World and city authorities that ended in vigilantism , mass rape and the flattening of the working class neighborhood of Stingaree to make way for

1280-484: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and federal formula funds. The "Trolley Renewal Project" would entail several improvements. Each station would get larger shelters to provide more protection from sun and rain, new benches, and digital "next arrival" signs. Worn-out infrastructure was replaced as needed, including rails, ties, catenary wires, power lines and electrical substations. The project also included

1360-618: The Green Line . The line also featured the first low-floor trolley vehicles, that allow passengers to board without climbing stairs and allowed passengers using wheelchairs to use a small bridge plate instead of the slower lifts on the older trains. But, the new vehicles could only operate on the Green Line, forcing passengers heading between Mission Valley and downtown San Diego to change trains in Old Town. (This restriction no longer applies.) In

1440-523: The Kingdom of Hawaii and then in San Francisco. In 1887, Spreckels visited San Diego on his yacht Lurline to stock up on supplies. Impressed by the real estate boom then taking place, he invested in the construction of a wharf and coal bunkers at the foot of Broadway (then called "D" Street). That boom ended soon but Spreckels' interest in San Diego would last for the rest of his life. He acquired control of

1520-634: The Panama–California Exposition . State investigator Harris Weinstock concluded that Spreckels "stands committed to the cause of the vigilantes, right or wrong, making its opinion…not free from bias.” The San Francisco Bulletin declared that Spreckels was “the greatest vigilante of them all." The San Diego Electric Railway (SDERy) was a San Diego–based, light rail mass transit system founded by Spreckels in 1892. Spreckels' strategy involved buying up several failed downtown horse- and cable-drawn trolley routes, consolidating and standardizing

1600-540: The Saint Louis Car Company (SLCCo) where these beautiful, Arts & Crafts -style streetcars were built and shipped out to San Diego. Ultimately, the Class 1 streetcars ran all over San Diego, from Coronado through Downtown , Mission Hills, Ocean Beach , North Park , Golden Hill , and Kensington . They even briefly served as a link to the U.S.-Mexico Border. These streetcars were "retired" in 1939 to give way to

1680-726: The San Diego & Arizona Railway , and Belmont Park in Mission Beach . He built several downtown buildings, including the Union Building in 1908, Spreckels Theatre in 1912, the Hotel San Diego, and the Golden West Hotel. He employed thousands of people and at one time he paid 10% of all the property taxes in San Diego County . Spreckels was president of several companies, including the Oceanic Steamship Company, operating

SECTION 20

#1732863315653

1760-644: The San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter opened on June 30, 1990. Later in the decade, the South Line was extended to the north, reaching Little Italy on July 2, 1992, and Old Town on June 16, 1996. The system was further expanded east from the Old Town station as the Mission Valley Line, which opened on November 23, 1997. It proceeded eastward from Old Town to Fashion Valley Mall , Mission Valley Mall, and San Diego Stadium . At

1840-683: The San Diego Evening Tribune in 1901. He moved his family permanently to San Diego immediately after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . In the next decades, Spreckels became a millionaire many times over, and the wealthiest man in San Diego. At various times he owned all of Coronado Island, the San Diego-Coronado Ferry System, the Union-Tribune Publishing Co. , the San Diego Electric Railway ,

1920-572: The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) campus, three major hospitals on (and adjacent to) the campus, and Westfield UTC mall. Construction began in October 2016, and train testing on the line began in late June 2021. The Mid-Coast extension opened on November 21, 2021. The Blue Line was re-extended north from its original northern terminus at America Plaza to run through five existing stations (up to and including its pre-2012 terminus,

2000-490: The heritage streetcar Silver Line , operates more limited weekday and weekend service, in a clockwise 'circle-loop' around downtown San Diego only (this is an overlay of existing parts of other lines in downtown). The San Diego Trolley system has 62 operational stations serving its three major Trolley lines ( Blue , Green , and Orange ), as well as the Copper Line shuttle and limited-service Silver Line . Thirteen of

2080-512: The Blue Line between America Plaza and San Ysidro boosts frequency to every 7.5 minutes during weekdays. The San Diego Trolley operates on a proof-of-payment system. Passengers must have proof of fare (ticket or pass) before boarding. Self-serve ticket-vending machines located at each station sell one-way paper tickets and passes (one day and monthly) on the Pronto Card . (An older fare card that

2160-621: The Blue Line) was completed by January 27, 2015, The project, including remaining station and track renovations, was completed in late 2015. In 2011, SANDAG received key approval for the Mid-coast extension of the Blue Line , running from Old Town Transit Center 11 miles (17.7 km) north to the University City community, serving major activity and employment centers such as Mission Bay Park,

2240-528: The Board required the planning give added weight to systems that satisfy a number of criteria: priority consideration for technologies available and in use, a system that is capable of being brought into operation incrementally, and using rights-of-way owned by public entities to minimize construction costs. In December 1976, the MTDB launched its 18-month Guideway Planning Project to be held in two phases. Phase 1 involved

2320-589: The Coronado Beach Company, Hotel del Coronado and Coronado Tent City; he bought the San Diego street railway system , changing it from horse power to electricity, in 1892. Hotel del Coronado was owned by the Coronado Beach Company which was originally capitalized with US$ 3 million. At the time of capitalization the original company directors were E.S. Babcock , John D. Spreckels, Captain Charles T. Hinde , H.W. Mallett, and Giles Kellogg. The Coronado Beach Company

2400-477: The Green Line, these are Fashion Valley Transit Center , Stadium , Mission San Diego , and Grantville . There is just one trolley station in the system that is underground – SDSU Transit Center – also on the Green Line. About half of San Diego Trolley stations offer free park and ride lots. Most trolley stations offer connections to MTS bus lines . The San Diego Trolley's four main lines operate regular service between 5 am and 11:30 pm, seven days

2480-529: The Green and Orange lines to terminate in El Cajon. There are three tracks, each served by a side platform . This California train station-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system serving San Diego County, California , United States. The trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. ( reporting mark SDTI ),

El Cajon Transit Center - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-438: The MTDB established San Diego Trolley, Inc. to operate and maintain the new light rail system and on July 26, 1981, service began. Trains operated every 20 minutes (timed to meet at four passing tracks on the single track sections) between 5 am and 9 pm and carried approximately 10,000 passengers a day. In light of the strong ridership, construction of the second phase was started almost immediately, which involved double-tracking

2640-648: The Old Town Transit Center), and continuing to nine new trolley stations: Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive, Balboa Avenue, Nobel Drive, VA Medical Center, UCSD West/Pepper Canyon, UCSD East/Voigt Drive, Executive Drive, and UTC. The northern terminal station, UTC, is part of the UTC Transit Center, at Westfield UTC in the University City/UC San Diego area. In early 2024, the MTS proposed truncating

2720-473: The Orange Line was truncated to Santa Fe Depot and the Blue Line to America Plaza . The new alignment meant all lines now passed through downtown and created a universal transfer point for all lines at 12th & Imperial Transit Center. By January 9, 2013, all stations on the Orange Line had been rebuilt, allowing low-floor LRVs to begin service on a second line. Rebuilding of the remaining stations (all on

2800-514: The S70 US ("Ultra Short") which retains the low-floor design, but would be the same length as the older high-floor vehicles (80 feet (24 m)). The MTS and SANDAG agreed to purchase a total of 65 vehicles, which would arrive between September 2011 and January 27, 2015. However, there was not enough funding to replace all 123 high-floor cars at once. The decision was made to retire the original Siemens-Duewag U2 LRVs, and operate three-car trains with

2880-463: The SD&AE La Mesa Branch from downtown San Diego to El Cajon. With all the planning in place, construction of the 15.9-mile (25.6 km) "South Line" transit corridor (the southern portion of today's Blue Line ) was able to begin just one month after acquisition in December 1979 and would be accomplished in two phases. The first phase of the project cost $ 86 million, which included the purchase of

2960-532: The SD&AE corridor and purchasing 10 additional vehicles. Upon completion of double-tracking in February 1983, the total cost of the project was $ 116.6 million. The success of the San Diego Trolley would also spark a nationwide revival of light rail in the late 1980s, with lines built in several other mid-sized cities ( Buffalo , Denver , Portland , Sacramento and San Jose ). The San Diego Trolley added

3040-449: The SD&AE, 14 light rail vehicles, construction of a single-tracked electrified light rail line along the 14.2-mile (22.9 km) SD&AE Main Line and construction of a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) section of new street running tracks in downtown San Diego. To control costs, only minor rehabilitation was conducted on the SD&AE corridor, with the MTDB replacing about 40% of the ties, welding

3120-602: The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, then under construction. Ultimately, the early studies went nowhere due to disagreements between stakeholders and a lack of funding. In 1975, the CPO published the Regional Transportation Plan which included a 58-mile (93 km) intermediate capacity fixed guideway system (an untested technology at the time) at a cost of $ 1.5 billion. In

3200-531: The Spreckels Mansion, located at 1630 Glorietta Boulevard. The Mansion sat on five acres of land overlooking Glorietta Bay across from Hotel del Coronado . In 1906, Spreckels, 53, contracted Architect Harrison Albright to design and build the Mansion. The building, designed with the simple, classic lines of Italian Renaissance, was complete in 1908 with six bedrooms, three baths, a parlor, dining room and library at

3280-464: The board selected light rail as the lone guideway transit technology to be studied (it would also be compared to several all-bus alternatives). In making the decision to pursue light rail, the MTBD board said it best followed the principles it laid out as light rail can offer high-speed travel, the right-of-way is flexible, and construction costs can be low when at-grade construction is maximized. The technology

El Cajon Transit Center - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-425: The cheaper, Depression-era Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars . Today, only three of the original twenty-four Class 1 streetcars remain in existence. In 1919, Spreckels completed the San Diego and Arizona Railway, a short line American railroad, dubbed "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. Established in 1906 to provide San Diego with

3440-425: The city of San Diego over the next 27 years. An evolution from previous streetcar models, the Class 1s were designed with artistry, state-of-the-art technology and San Diego's unique climate in mind. Under Spreckels' guise, the engineers of SDERy drafted up plans that took elements from both the "California Car" and the "Closed Car" designs and refashioned them into a new, modern transit fleet. Their plans were sent to

3520-550: The city of San Diego was his commitment to the construction of Balboa Park in preparation of the Panama–California Exposition . As the owner of the San Diego Electric Railway Company, he also developed a unique fleet of special streetcars that could handle the large crowds attending this event. Following the Exposition, the Class 1 streetcars would go on to provide a continuing public transportation service for

3600-637: The company provided the only mail service between the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand. The Oceanic ships that transported mail to Australia and New Zealand were the Alameda (3000 horsepower plant), Mariposa (3000 horsepower plant), the steamer Zealandia , the Sierra , the Sonoma and the Ventura . The Australia provided a 33-day direct mail service to Tahiti. In 1926 Oceanic became a subsidiary of Matson Navigation Company ,

3680-561: The cost of $ 35,000. At that time, Spreckels' Mansion featured a brass cage elevator, a marble staircase with leather-padded handrails, skylights, marble floors and some of the Island's most spectacular gardens. The home was built with reinforced steel and concrete, an earthquake precaution Spreckels insisted upon after living through the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Spreckels lived in the Glorietta Boulevard mansion until his death in 1926. It

3760-648: The cultural life of the city by building the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego, the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi. He gave generously to the fund to build the 1915 Panama-California Exposition and, together with his brother Adolph B. Spreckels , donated the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park to the people of San Diego just before the opening of the Exposition. Spreckels paid

3840-548: The early 1970s, three state legislative acts would set the stage for the construction of mass transit in the San Diego region. Transportation Development Act, signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1971, earmarked 25% of the state sales tax for funding transportation projects, including mass transit. A 1974 amendment to Article 19 of the Constitution of California permitted the use of gas tax revenues, previously reserved for highway construction, for construction of rail systems. Finally,

3920-620: The eastern terminus of both the Green and Orange lines to El Cajon Transit Center , replacing the easternmost sections of both lines with a Copper Line between El Cajon and Santee station . The Copper Line was scheduled begin operations on September 29, 2024. The line would later begin operating that day. As of 2024 , trolley service operates on four daily lines: the Blue, Green, Orange, and Copper lines, and traveling through 65 total miles of mostly double-track rail and serving 62 stations. A fifth line,

4000-456: The eastern terminus of the third segment of the East Line (now Orange Line) on June 23, 1989, which operated from 12th & Imperial in downtown San Diego . The physical line was extended to its current terminus at Santee on July 26, 1995. From July 1995 to July 2005, Orange Line service continued to terminate at the end of the line at Santee Town Center. When the Green Line opened in July 2005,

4080-542: The evaluation of potential corridors based on the CPO's 1975 Regional Transportation Plan and was guided by principles set by the MTDB board: the corridor should extend a long-distance and offer high-speed operation, the system should be at grade in a mostly exclusive right-of-way , capital costs should be low, and operating deficits should be minimized. Phase 1 studied over 100 miles of potential corridors with 45 miles of corridor recommended for further evaluation in Phase 2. At about

SECTION 50

#1732863315653

4160-451: The extensive damages, SP petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the SD&AE on August 9, 1977. The MTDB immediately began studying the SD&AE corridor between downtown San Diego and the San Ysidro Port of Entry for joint use by electric light rail and freight trains. In June 1978, the MTDB found the entire joint-use project feasible. At the same time, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors became concerned about

4240-544: The family soon moved to New York City . Spreckels attended Oakland College and then the Polytechnic College in Hanover, Germany , where he studied chemistry and mechanical engineering until 1872. He returned to California and began working for his father, Claus Spreckels , who had grown extremely wealthy in the sugar business. In 1876 he went to the Hawaiian Islands , where he worked for his father's sugar business, Spreckels Sugar Company . In 1880, with $ 2 million in capital, he organized J. D. Spreckels and Brothers,

4320-401: The first five plates for himself and his family. Spreckels died on June 7, 1926, in Coronado , San Diego, and was buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park , Colma. His biographer, Austin Adams, called him "one of America's few great Empire Builders who invested millions to turn a struggling, bankrupt village into the beautiful and cosmopolitan city San Diego is today." Spreckels contributed to

4400-449: The flow of population." At its peak, the SDERy's routes would operate throughout greater San Diego over some 165 miles (266 kilometers) of track. And though the system had operated continuously for more than half a century, declining ridership (due in large part to the increasing usage of the automobile) ultimately led the company to discontinue all streetcar service in favor of bus routes in 1949. One of Spreckels' major contributions to

4480-420: The hurricane-damaged line. The deal closed on August 20, 1979, with the final acquisition occurring on November 1, 1979. The MTDB quickly secured a deal with the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad to continue freight service along the line. The purchase gave MTDB ownership of two sections of right-of-way that could be used for mass transit: the SD&AE Main Line from downtown San Diego to San Ysidro, and

4560-428: The jointed rail, constructing electric catenaries, and installing an absolute block signal system. Funding for the project came entirely from Transportation Development Act state sales tax and local gas tax revenues. Federal funds were not actively sought due to the locally perceived notion that San Diego would not qualify due to low population densities, uncongested highways, and undefined corridors. In August 1980,

4640-480: The late 2000s, as parts of the San Diego Trolley approached 30 years old, the system was in need of an overhaul of its oldest facilities. Also, after the success of the low-floor trolley cars on the Green Line, the MTS wanted to operate similar vehicles on all lines. Officials secured $ 660 million in funding after the 2008 election as voters passed the TransNet half-cent local sales tax and two statewide transportation bond measures. The project also received funding from

4720-471: The lines from heavy rainstorms, landslides, and fires took a financial toll on the railroad, as did border closings with Mexico. In 1932, financial difficulties forced Spreckels' heirs to sell their interests in the firm for $ 2.8 million to the Southern Pacific , which renamed the railroad the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE). "Get your water first, for without your water you get your population under false pretenses and they quit you when

4800-479: The new low-floor LRVs in the front and back, and an older high-floor Siemens SD-100 car in the middle. In late 2010, work to rebuild the stations started at Old Town Transit Center and worked south. By September 2, 2012, work was completed on the Old Town and Bayshore lines, allowing for a realignment of service. The Green Line was extended from its former western terminus in Old Town south to 12th & Imperial Transit Center 's Bayside Terminal platform, while

4880-431: The new route took over service to Santee, and the Orange Line was truncated to Gillespie Field . The September 2012 system redesign truncated the Orange Line once again to El Cajon. Following the sale of the naming rights of the Green Line to Sycuan Casino , the station was renamed El Cajon–Sycuan. However, this is no longer the case. The April 2018 system redesign extended the Orange Line to Arnele Avenue , following

SECTION 60

#1732863315653

4960-449: The opening of Courthouse station in April 2018. Courthouse became the line's current western terminus, and the one-stop extension to Arnele was meant to relieve congestion and confusion at El Cajon. In 2024, a third track was added to the station, and the eastern platform was extended to allow shuttle trains to terminate there. The Copper Line then began service on September 29, operating between this new platform and Santee , and allowing

5040-470: The other stations are located in the cities of Chula Vista , El Cajon , La Mesa , Lemon Grove , National City , and Santee . Most of the stations in the San Diego Trolley system are 'at-grade' stations. There are 10 aerial stations, mostly on the Blue Line, with some on the Green Line. For the Blue Line, these are Nobel Drive , VA Medical Center , UC San Diego Central Campus , UC San Diego Health La Jolla , Executive Drive , and UTC Transit Center. For

5120-418: The potential loss of freight service on the SD&AE, which was seen as vital to the county's economic interests and the continued viability of San Diego as a deep-water port. The county commissioned its own study to examine using a portion of the SD&AE tracks for passenger service which would share the track with freight services, the motivation being the transit services could share the costs of maintaining

5200-495: The same time, a working paper presented an evaluation of four guideway technologies: light rail, two categories of heavy rail, and Automated Small Vehicle Transit . In August 1977, the MTDB board selected the South Bay region for the detailed Phase 2 study. There would be several potential corridors to consider, including along freeways (Interstate highways I-5, I-8 & I-805 and State Routes 94 & 16), along existing railroad rights-of-way, and arterial roads. In October 1977

5280-415: The same time, the South Line (which now traveled north of downtown San Diego to Old Town) and East Line of the system were renamed the Blue Line and the Orange Line, respectively. The Mission Valley East extension, which opened on July 10, 2005, built the only underground station in the system at San Diego State University , as well as its highest elevated station at Grantville. This line was then renamed

5360-405: The switch to low-floor LRVs was that the traditional Siemens S70 , like those ordered for the Green Line, were over 90 feet (27 m) long, so a three-car train would not fit within downtown San Diego's 240 feet (73 m) blocks. The MTS teamed up with the Utah Transit Authority, which faced a similar problem with its system. The solution for both agencies was a specialized design Siemens called

5440-463: The three major lines. Since the opening of the Copper Line, riders bound for Arnele Avenue , Gillespie Field , or Santee must transfer at El Cajon Transit Center . Six trolley stations are end-of-line stations: 12th & Imperial Transit Center, Courthouse, El Cajon Transit Center, Santee, San Ysidro Transit Center , and UTC Transit Center . Thirty-seven stations are within the city limits of San Diego , serving various neighborhoods in San Diego ;

5520-614: The trackage, and electrifying the resulting unified street railway system. Over the years, the SDERy constructed new lines to connect San Diego's burgeoning downtown with the region's up-and-coming outlying communities, including Mission Beach , Pacific Beach , and Normal Heights (developments where Spreckels owned the bulk of the land). Spreckels' underlying philosophy in this regard can best be summed up as follows: "Before you can hope to get people to live anywhere ... you must first of all show them that they can get there quickly, comfortably, and above all, cheaply. Transportation determines

5600-433: The tracks. San Diego County proposed operating either commuter rail trains or self-powered diesel rail cars . In 1978, the Interstate Commerce Commission denied the request to abandon the SD&AE, prompting Southern Pacific to offer the railroad for sale to anyone willing to maintain freight operations on the line. The MTDB stepped in and offered to buy the SD&AE for $ 18.1 million if the Southern Pacific fully repaired

5680-467: The trolley had the highest ridership of any light rail system in the United States, with 38,047,300 annual rides, or about 129,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. 2023 is the 42nd anniversary of the San Diego Trolley, and the MTS has prepared a brief historical review of San Diego trolleys, and in particular the San Diego Trolley. MTS also has a more extensive slideshow and timeline available. The last day of streetcar operation in San Diego

5760-430: The trolley system's stations operate as transfer stations, which allow passengers to transfer between lines. 12th & Imperial Transit Center allows for transferring between the Blue, Green, and Orange lines, serving as a universal transfer point for most riders in the system. The adjacent Santa Fe Depot / America Plaza / Courthouse stations, which are within walking distance of each other, also allow for transfer among

5840-790: The water runs dry." Spreckels organized the Southern California Mountain Water Company , which in turn built the Morena and the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoir dams, the Dulzura conduit and the necessary pipeline to the city. The company was acquired by the City of San Diego. Speckels was noted as one of the West Coast's "most prominent and enthusiastic automobilists." When California began requiring license plates in 1905, Spreckels acquired

5920-771: The wood brigantine John D. Spreckels (1880), the iron ship Mariposa (1883), the two mast schooner Rosario (1879), the wood brigantine Salina , the passenger ship Sierra (1900) , the passenger liner Sonoma (1900), the Suez (1876), the Ventura (1900), the wood brigantine W.H. Dimond (1881), the wood brigantine William G. Irwin (1881), and the Zealandia (1875). In October 1877, John Diedrich Spreckels married Lillie Siebein (1855–1924) in Hoboken, New Jersey , and together they had four children: Grace (1878–1937), Lillie (1880–1965), John (1882–1921), and Claus (1888–1935). They first lived in

6000-479: Was new for the United States , but was well established in Germany . On September 10, 1976, nature intervened, setting off a chain of events that would help decide the corridor to be used. Hurricane Kathleen destroyed parts of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE) Desert Line (east of San Diego), which at the time was owned by Southern Pacific (SP) railroad. The SD&AE offered freight service with

6080-429: Was $ 6 million. Construction delays, attacks by Mexican revolutionaries, and government intervention during World War I all served to push the construction completion to November 15, 1919, when the "golden spike" was finally driven by none other than Spreckels himself. Completing the SD&A was a monumental task that seriously affected Spreckels' health, almost costing him his life. In subsequent years, damage to

6160-424: Was April 23, 1949. On July 19, 1981 electric railcars returned to San Diego streets on the first modern American light rail system integrated with its bus system. Electric rail service in San Diego traces its roots back to 1891 when John D. Spreckels incorporated the San Diego Electric Railway . San Diego's streetcar system had been replaced with buses in 1949, and by 1966 the local bus company, San Diego Transit,

6240-653: Was facing a financial crisis and public takeover. Planning for mass transit in the San Diego region began in 1966 under the auspices of the Comprehensive Planning Organization (CPO, now known as the San Diego Association of Governments , SANDAG), an intergovernmental agency of 13 cities and San Diego County. Over the next decade, the CPO researched various technologies including improvements to local buses, express buses, heavy rail, light rail, and advanced technologies. The CPO also closely studied

6320-536: Was responsible for numerous other investments in the Coronado, California , area. Before investing in the Coronado Beach Company, Spreckels waited for his close friend—Captain Charles T. Hinde —to join him. They jointly invested and managed new businesses. For a time, Spreckels was owner of the San Francisco Call , then a morning newspaper. While still living in San Francisco, he continued investing in San Diego newspapers, buying The San Diego Union in 1890 and

6400-514: Was used was the Compass Card .) Roving transit enforcement personnel conduct random ticket inspections throughout the system. If customers are caught without a valid fare, they may be fined. Based on frequent security inspections, nearly 98% of the 37 million patrons have proper fares. John D. Spreckels The oldest of five children, Spreckels was born in Charleston, South Carolina , though

#652347