High-Speed Rail Project and 2050 Regional Transportation Plan Promise Major Change in Mira Mesa then east on Mira Mesa Blvd to Black Mountain Rd, south on Black Mountain Rd to Hillery Dr, then east to the Transit Center. The Carroll Canyon route is the one currently included in the Mira Mesa Community Plan. By: Bari Vaz As the price of gas rises, our commute times grow longer, and air travel becomes more expensive and less convenient, several local, state and federal government agencies are planning changes to our public transportation options. The San Diego Association of Governments, better known as SANDAG, is developing the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan, designed to improve public transportation options in San Diego and comply with the new state greenhouse gas emission standards. At the state and federal level, high-speed rail connecting major metropolitan areas is being promoted as an alternative to air travel or driving for business. The California High-Speed Rail Authority is a state entity founded in 1996 to plan, construct, and operate an 800-mile-long high-speed train system connecting California’s major metropolitan areas. The HSRA has received funding from the 2008 passage of Proposition 1A and Federal Recovery Act funds to connect San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento, while providing a few key stops in between. Each of these projects will have a significant impact on the Mira Mesa community. 2050 RTP includes several new transportation alternatives for Mira Mesa. Most residents are familiar with the I-15 Managed Lanes and the Hillery Drive Direct Access Ramp, for which numerous meetings were held in 2009 and 2010. The 2050 RTP includes new managed lanes along I-805, similar to the I-15 project. Bus Rapid Transit improvements will include Route 470 from Escondido to UTC by way of Mira Mesa Blvd, and Route 610 connecting Escondido to Downtown with stops at Sabre Springs and Mira Mesa. Most noticeable will be the new extension of the Blue Line Trolley, which will connect the Transit Center on the Miramar College Campus to UTC by way of one of two proposed paths. Depending upon funding, the 2050 RTP proposes that the trolley line travel either (1) from UTC to the intersection of I-805 and Mira Mesa Blvd, then southeast to Carroll Canyon, through Carroll Canyon to Black Mountain Rd, north on Black Mountain Rd to Hillery Dr, then east to the Transit Center; or (2) from UTC to I-805 and Mira Mesa Blvd,
• New managed lanes along I-805, similar to the I-15 project
The California HighSpeed Rail line is planned to travel from Murrieta / Temecula to Lindbergh Airport by one of two routes: (1) south along I-15 to SR 163, then to I-8, ending at Lindbergh Field; or (2) south along I-15 to just south of Mira Mesa Blvd, then by elevated rail line through the apartment complexes along I-15, through the Miramar Community College campus, through Hourglass Field, through the apartments near Black Mountain Rd and Gold Coast Dr, across Black Mountain Rd, through more apartments and businesses, and into Carroll Canyon, continuing through Carroll Canyon until it reaches Eastgate Mall, where a tunnel will be constructed from Eastgate Mall to the UTC area.
• Bus Rapid Transit improvements will include Route 470 from Escondido to UTC by way of Mira Mesa Blvd, and Route 610 connecting Escondido to Downtown with stops at Sabre Springs and Mira Mesa.
Despite the numerous changes proposed for transportation in Mira Mesa, most residents are not familiar with what is planned in either the High-Speed Rail Project or the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan. Both proposals, most notably the High-Speed Rail Project, will bring major construction and visual impacts to our community. Yet neither the HighSpeed Rail Authority nor SANDAG scheduled any community meetings in Mira Mesa. Community organizations such as the Mira Mesa Town Council were not contacted to assist in distributing this information to our community. The proposed high-speed rail path through Mira Mesa came as a complete surprise to the San Diego Community College District, which was never informed of the possible path across the Miramar campus. In a recent news article, an SDCCD representative indicated that the proposed path runs through the southeastern area of the college, where long-awaited construction and improvements to the campus are currently underway. One SDCCD official indicated that, should the path through Mira Mesa be selected, the District might consider abandoning the Miramar College campus.
• Most noticeable will be the new extension of the Blue Line Trolley, which will connect the Transit Center on the Miramar College Campus to UTC
As these transportation plans for San Diego are reviewed and completed, it is important that Mira Mesa keep a watchful eye on what others have planned for our community. We welcome improved public transportation, but worry that planners outside of Mira Mesa may not fully appreciate the impact their projects have on our community. As we learned with the Hillery Direct Access Ramp project, it is far easier to protect our community’s future if we get involved early in the process, speak out frequently regarding our concerns, and insist that our public entities keep us informed.
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