Project Specs and Benefits
Construction is well underway on the Mission Valley East Extension of the San Diego Trolley including a
new station at SDSU. A project of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB), the new line is expected
to be operational in early 2005.
Coming from the west, the trolley will run along the south side of Interstate 8 and then turn southward on
a bridge over Parking Lot X. It will continue through a tunnel under Parking Lot W and between Cox Arena
and the West Commons, the tennis courts and softball field. The subterranean transit station will be
approximately 50 feet under Aztec Walk between Adams Humanities and Aztec Center. The trolley will emerge
again at street level on the east side of College Avenue. It will be routed behind Parking Structure 1, elevated
on a bridge over Parking Lot C and Alvarado Road, then re-paralleling I-8 to connect to the Grossmont Station
in La Mesa.
The Mission Valley East Trolley Extension project will cost an estimated $496 million. The funds to build
the project come from a combination of federal, state and local resources. The federal government's
Transportation Appropriations bill will provide $330 million to the project.
- The completion of the Trolley will result in less traffic on the roadways around SDSU, relieving commuter congestion near campus.
- It is estimated that up to 25 percent of the cost of a college education is spent on transportation. Using the trolley can significantly lower students' transportation expenses.
- The Trolley will improve access to campus and events at Cox Arena and the Open Air Theater.
- The Trolley will provide a "bridge" between the campus and U.S./Mexico border.
- The underground station is located on campus significantly closer than any of the current parking structures, creating easy access to class upon arrival.
- The Trolley will provide San Diego State students more and better options to travel and get around the city.
- The Trolley will accompany the economic development around SDSU and help sell SDSU to prospective students as a wonderful place to go to school.
- The Trolley will give students without a car an array of living options away from campus, from Mission Valley to Downtown to East County.
- Americans lose more than 1.6 million hours a day stuck in traffic; the Trolley will help SDSU students become more time efficient.
- The Trolley's predictable, reliable service will be easy to use, practical and student friendly.
- Savings on students' costs, the average commuter saves about $1,500 and 200 gallons of gas yearly, simply by using public transit instead of driving.
- A full Trolley train removes 125 cars from the highway.
- The Trolley at SDSU will boost Aztec pride as well as bring people together on the train.
- Without transit, the nation's $40 billion in annual traffic congestion losses would be $15 billion higher. In fact, if all the Americans who take transit to work decided to drive, their cars would circle the Earth with a line of traffic 23,000 miles long.
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