Of the trips to the San Diego International Airport, 99 percent are made by car. That could change if an expensive and ambitious project moves from concept to reality.
Lori Weisberg reports: "At a cost of $4 billion or more, San Diego County could have a multi-level Grand Central Station and underground people mover that would whisk passengers to the airport within just two to three minutes, offering a transit solution that has eluded the region for decades."
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) presents that account of the idea for a new Grand Central Station for Sand Diego in a recently released 60-page report. The SANDAG Board of Directors established an Airport Connectivity Subcommittee in December 2018 and provided $1 million to develop and analyze a concept for a central mobility hub to improve access to the San Diego International Airport.
According to Wiesberg, the report considers four alternatives for the airport connector. One would expand the existing San Diego Trolley; the other three would add an automated people mover system. "One advantage of such a system is that it provides level boarding and can operate at high frequencies, which allows people to 'arrive at their aircraft gates faster and with less stress,' the SANDAG report states."
"The transit option that appears to be favored most by local planners and engineering consultants who worked on the latest analysis is a new transit center that would be developed on Navy property north of the airport, in concert with a nonstop, underground people mover that would be free to ride," adds Weisberg.
As for the prospect of a new Grand Central Station, the project gained critical momentum earlier this month when the Department of the Navy signed off on the early plans for the redevelopment of the Naval Base Point Loma, Old Town Complex. Jennifer Evan Grove reports on the details of a new contract that supersedes a previous memorandum of understanding and clears the way for the navy and SANDAG to begin planning and environmental review for the 70-acre site that could become the future home of the new transit hub.
FULL STORY: $4.7B: The price tag for a ‘Grand Central Station’ and underground people mover to San Diego airport
San Diego High-Speed Rail Plan Counts on Future Density
Despite slowing population growth statewide, officials believe the region will "grow into" the new rail system if cities promote dense development around transit stations.
Climate Crisis, Housing Crisis on a Collision Course
Sprawl might relieve the housing crisis, but it would also exacerbate the climate crisis. Tough choices will be necessary in regions like San Diego, where the question of where to accommodate growth is very much in question.
San Diego Could Scrap Parking Requirements in 'Transit Priority Areas'
The mayor of San Diego has introduced a major parking reform initiative.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association