How many of you rely on public transportation in San Diego?

Question

I'm doing a study. I've heard very mixed things from many natives. If you could, I'd appreciate if you include where you live in San Diego and where you work. Also, what you do for a living as well. Thanks!

Answer 1

i stopped using that when i saw a girl got raped in broad daylight

Answer 2

The bus drivers are either too early or too late, and they will pass you up if the street isn't lighted well. They seem to be on their own schedule.

I don't feel that the city puts public transportation as a high priority. They've only recently taken safety into account.

It would be great if they had round the clock service. You can stay out late if you live or park along the trolley lines, or going to TJ, but keep in mind that from 1-4 there's going to be nothing. Taxis are a rip off.

I use the bus to go to the airport if I'm travelling light.

The trolleys are usually on time unless something happens, but it takes a really long time for them to line up a bus.

There are very few places to safely leave your vehicle near a trolley.

If you live in Imperial Beach, "old" Chula Vista, National City, Downtown, El Cajon, public transportation is pretty reliable. If you live north of the 8 and it's past 9:00 you really need to have your research done. You may need 10 maps to figure out how to get around.

Coaster is mostly for during the week. Metrolink is a great thing if you're doing overnighters in LA,because you can go to Union Station and for 12 in Oceanside and 3 dollars in Union Station you can get to most of the places you need to go around LA. Amtrak's 30 each way from downtown to LA.

The 800 info for San Diego is a pain in the neck to use.

Answer 3

I used to live in Boston, where despite some complaints, I'd say the public transportation was very good. It had to be, because a lot of people depended on it daily. It was really hard to have a car in the city due to parking, so I took the T or bus everywhere. So with that said, I think that public transportation in San Diego is terrible! Really, it's just horrific. It's no wonder nobody chooses to use it. I had tried to be a good citizen and take the trolley a couple of times to downtown from Mission Valley (about 6 minutes by car, tops), and we would end up sitting on the trolley, and not moving, for about 20 minutes. Granted this was at night, but still, I could've walked home and it would have been faster. It is so inconsistent and inefficient. It does not encourage people by any means to take public transportation when it can be much faster to drive to your destination. Also, it's service is not far reaching, I live in a beach community (Pacific Beach) and would need to drive to get to the trolley stop, so why not just drive all the way to your destination? I can't speak too much for the buses here, as I've never needed to take them. I hear that they are pretty far reaching, but again i'm sure it takes about double the time to take the bus, rather than drive (if you have a car). Also, I really think that if they were better about collecting money on the Trolley here then they would have more money to make the system more efficient. I've been on it a number of times when nobody ever asked me for a ticket. So they are probably losing money on the whole thing because it is possible to ride it for free (and trust me, people do know this). And on that same note, at least for the commuter rail, they charge ridiculous prices. My boyfriend was considering taking the commuter train up to his work in Encinitas from his house in Sorrento Valley (which, I believe, is only 2 stops). It was going to cost him $7 a day! It would be cheaper just to drive at those prices. He worked it out that if he had bought the monthly pass he would need to take it twice a day every day (weekends too) for it to even be worth it. They need to make it affordable and efficient to ever get people to really utilize the public transportation here. I also work in Sorrento valley as a Clinical Data Manager. I don't believe there are any public transportation options for me from my house to my work. It is a 20-30 minute drive each way.

Answer 4

I'm in SD. When I went to UCSD my roommate and I would use the city bus all the time to get to school because 1) the express bus to campus stopped very close by, 2) we got free transit fare because we were students, and 3) parking permit to park on campus is EXPENSIVE and parking is very limited.

Now I am working, still live in the same neighborhood close to the university and work there as well, but do not rely on the bus. Getting to my office requires 2 different transfers and much longer commute time than just driving.

I've had friends in Chula Vista and National City area who had to take the bus temporarily to get to school or work in the Clairemont or La Jolla area, and it would take them something like 4 hours.

The trolley is fun to take once in a while but you need to live close to a stop.

I guess overall, public transit in SD is great if you are near a route that goes where you want to go. Otherwise it's very time-consuming. SD and SoCali in general is just way too spread out for any sort of efficient public transit. The reason it works better in other cities is that the cities are more compact, or driving is more hassle than transit.

Answer 5

Well, as a transit expert and driver, I would have to say San Diego's system is better than most. The connections are usually good and you can reach far off destinations for little cost. The nice thing about SD is the range of options such as local bus, light rail (Trolley) Commuter rail "Coaster" which connects to Metrolink at Oceanside all the way into Los Angeles. The one negative is the cost relative to other cities. SD basic local bus fare is a whopping $2.25 one way so if you do plan on using the service daily, I would suggest buying a monthly pass. Good Luck

Answer 6

The bus system in San Diego is terrible. it is inconsistent, the buses don't come regularly or there is a long time between buses, and to get on a bus it costs $2.25. It's ridiculous! I take the bus to get to school, and I have to pay $30 every month for the bus pass.

Answer 7

im a student in national city and i dont use the public transportation.. ive used it in rare occasions and its ok.