MTS Installs First of 600 New Bus Shelters Slated for San Diego Communities

More than 1,800 new bus benches also ready for installation

San Diego, Calif. – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is continuing to upgrade the region’s transit system with the installation of 600 new bus shelters and more than 1,800 benches in communities throughout San Diego. The upgrades come after major capital investments in new bus facilities in the South Bay and East County ($54 million) and a 5-year reconstruction of the Trolley system ($660 million). 

               “This is another step toward modernizing San Diego’s transit system. We’ve made progress on a number of fronts, and new bus shelters and benches are a big part of enhancing the customer experience,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski.

Tolar Manufacturing, based out of Corona, California, will manufacture both products. All bus benches will be replaced within the next 12 months and will cost $1.5 million. 

Shelter installation will take five years and cost $6.4 million. MTS currently has 450 shelters, so the improvement project will not only replace existing shelters, but include up to 150 additional shelters for passengers. Shelter amenities include:

• Solar and LED lighting systems
• Modern design, look and feel
• Dual purpose receptacles for trash and recycling
• 5-foot custom aluminum benches
• Large, easy-to-read display cases for system maps and timetables
• Custom roof design preventing rain runoff from the shelter’s front and side openings shelter

         The first 50 shelters will be installed in the following communities:

• City Heights/College Area – 8 new shelters
• Pacific Beach – 8 new shelters
• Downtown San Diego (Gaslamp Quarter, East Village, Broadway Corridor) – 16 new shelters
• Southeast San Diego – 9 new shelters
• San Ysidro/Otay Mesa – 8 new shelters
• Clairemont – 1 new shelter

MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services. MTS set a new record in FY 2015 with 96.7 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.

Photo: One of the first new MTS bus shelters installed at the corner of Kettner Blvd. and W. Broadway in downtown San Diego

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