Board Update

The MTS Board typically meets one time per month as the final decision-making body for our agency. Here’s a quick update of activity for September, October and November:

September

•  Agreement approved with EDCO to provide trash pickup at all MTS facilities – 5 year contract with five one-year option terms (for a total of 10 years)

•  Approved contract with Herzog Contracting Corporation to repair the bridge at 8th Street on the UC San Diego Blue Line

•  Approved Smith, Watts & Hartmann to conduct voter opinion research to help craft a funding ballot measure. Research includes two focus groups, two public opinion surveys and on-call consulting.

October

•  Amended Board Policy 18, which guides the development and utilization of property owned and acquired by MTS. Priority will be given to projects that generate value to MTS, high density and include 20% of units set aside for low income families.

•  Board took a position to formally oppose Proposition 6 on the November ballot, which would have repealed Senate Bill 1, also known as the Road, Repair and Accountability Act approve by the State Legislature in 2017. The repeal was unsuccessful and MTS will continue to receive more than $15 million per year.

•  Supported a new downtown layover facility for MTS buses – known as SANDAG’s Downtown Stopover Project. This project would provide MTS bus routes and operators with adequate facilities, and replace most of the existing curbside layover locations on the western side of the downtown area.

November

• Authorized a new contract with AT&T to enhance credit and debit cardholder protection for Ticket Vending Machine users. The project will move MTS closer to Payment Card Industry compliance.

•          Approved a contract extension to allow BriceHouse to continue to manage Compass Card product sales at Old Town, El Cajon and San Ysidro. BriceHouse will manage sales at these three locations until the next generation fare collection system is implemented in 2021.

In November, Chief of Police Manny Guaderrama provided the Board with an update on MTS security. MTS’ new Ride Assured campaign, which encourages passengers to text security with any issues, is responding to nearly all incoming text messages within one minute.