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The Metropolitan Transit System board on Thursday selected the spot for the agency’s all-electric bus operations and maintenance facility in the Ridgeview-Webster area.
The MTS Clean Transit Advancement Campus is being touted as the region’s first. It will be MTS’ sixth bus division and will be designed to park, charge and service up to 250 zero-emission buses.
“The construction of this facility is critical for the future of clean transit in San Diego, and after months of analyses and studies, we are excited to get it closer to the finish line,” said San Diego County SupervisorNathan Fletcher, the MTS board’s chair. “As we continue to prioritize the electrification of our buses, moving forward with the development of this project will get us to an all zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.”
MTS projects the campus will allow for full bus fleet electrification, and bring up to 600 new jobs and apprenticeships, to the area, including positions in training programs. Also Thursday, the board approved the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration for the site, wrapping up the California Environmental Quality Act process.
“I am proud to see the future of clean transportation taking root in District 4,” said San Diego City Council member Monica Montgomery Steppe, an MTS board member, and San Diego City Council president pro tempore.
She added her thanks to the community members who offered input during the site-selection process.
“This new division will allow us to provide more equitable clean transit options for our residents, and directly benefit families in San Diego with good paying jobs,” she said.
MTS and the San Diego Association of Governments conducted community outreach and studies of the six sites being considered for more than a year before Thursday’s decision.
Ultimately, the Ridgeview-Webster site on Federal Boulevard was selected due to its proximity to state Route 94 and main roads, limited impact on the surrounding, largely-commercial, neighborhood and the cheaper cost of acquiring the property.
Site design will take until 2025 and construction from 2025-2027. The site’s opening is tentatively scheduled for 2027 or 2028.
MTS estimates the project cost to be $240-$390 million. It will initially be funded through the agency Capital Improvement Program, but MTS will seek grants and federal support as the project progresses.
– City News Service
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