The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) has continued to improve public transit to the Airport. An update to the 2010 Airport Transit Plan analyzed and evaluated potential Airport passengers and employees traveling to and from San Diego International Airport. The SDCRAA has gathered input by providing Transit Committee meetings and website updates. The Airport Transit Plan contains several Recommended Transit Improvements.
Airport Transit Committee
An Airport Transit Committee (Committee) was organized by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) in 2005 to identify potential enhancements to the transit and transportation system serving San Diego International Airport. The Committee is comprised of regional transportation agencies and meets periodically to discuss both transit and road access to San Diego International Airport. The Committee is led by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and includes transit/transportation planning staff from the:
- San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
- Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
- North County Transit District (NCTD)
- Caltrans
- City of San Diego
- Civic San Diego
- Port of San Diego
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- California Coastal Commission
- California State Parks – Old Town State Park
The overall project objectives of the Airport Transit Plan are to:
- Increase Airport transit ridership from 1.2% to 5%.
- Enhance Airport and regional mobility.
- Reduce Airport, City of San Diego, and San Diego region vehicular traffic congestion.
- Provide remote terminal bus service to and from the Airport that will offer an alternative to using a single occupant vehicle.
- Assist in reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the operation of the Airport.
- Compile additional airport passenger and employee transit data that can be used to plan and implement recommended transit improvements.
Airport Transit Plan
The Airport Transit Plan report was prepared in 2010 and an update to the Plan was prepared in 2016.
The update to the Airport Transit Plan was prepared by the transit consulting firm of Nelson/Nygaard and was funded by the Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Program. The Airport Transit Plan recommends specific transit improvements to enhance access to San Diego International Airport and identifies four potential programs to improve public transit ridership for airport employees and passengers:
- Increase Marketing and Wayfinding
- Enhance the Trolley to Terminals Shuttle
- Improve MTS Route 992 as a Rapid Bus
- Operate an Old Town Transit Center Shuttle
Transit ticket machines are now available in Terminals 1 & 2. Way finding signage and Trolley to Terminal bus shelter are vibrantly labeled with blue and green iconography.
