The Intermodal Division of the Regional Transportation Technology Alliance
is proposing development of the San Diego Intermodal Program (SDIP), a
series of three projects designed to stimulate and improve the San Diego
economy. All three of these projects are transportation related.
Transportation, the movement of people and goods, is the lifeblood of an
economy. The improvement of the San Diego transportation network is vital
to strong and vigorous growth of the region's economy. This Project Summary
describes all three components of the SDIP proposal. The first is
TransCity, the San Diego Intermodal Center, a transportation hub that allows
interchange between San Diego's major transportation modes. The second
project is the University City Shuttle, which is an automated people mover
(APM) connecting activity centers in the University City area. The third
project is the Golden Triangle Express, a high speed APM linking TransCity
to University City.
TransCity is an intermodal facility linking key Downtown activity centers
with the region's major transportation facilities, including San Diego
International Airport, the Santa Fe Depot, the MTDB Trolley System, bus
terminals, taxis and automobile parking. The purpose of TransCity is to
provide a central transfer point for trips involving regional transit,
intercity bus service, local taxi and shuttle service and private
automobiles. TransCity would also become an extension of San Diego
International Airport, incorporating selected landside facilities including,
but not limited to, parking. TransCity will be located somewhere between
Downtown and the area just to the northeast of San Diego International
Airport. To leverage its location as a transportation hub, retail and
entertainment development will be incorporated into TransCity, with the
commercial development revenues supporting the development of the
transportation infrastructure. Connecting the TransCity complex to Downtown
activity centers and the San Diego International Airport will be an
automated people mover (APM) shuttle system. The APM Shuttle uses
four-passenger cars operating on a network of elevated guideways to
transport passengers nonstop within a local area. The budgeted cost of the
APM is $150 million. Budgeted costs for the TransCity complex are $50
million for transportation infrastructure development, and up to $500
million in commercial development.
The University City Shuttle is an automated people mover (APM), linking
activity centers throughout the University City commercial center. Activity
centers include the University Towne Centre shopping center, La Jolla
Village Towne Square, the University of California San Diego campus and
nearby major office buildings and hotels. The Shuttle uses personal-size,
four-passenger vehicles to provide private, nonstop transportation to
passengers. The budgeted cost of the APM is $150 million. This APM will be
like the one serving TransCity. Both APMs will have cars equipped with
multimedia consoles to provide information and entertainment to passengers.
The University City Shuttle will allow people traveling within the
commercial center convenient connections to shops, restaurants, offices,
hotels and the UCSD campus. It will also provide a quick and convenient
connection to Downtown San Diego, via the Golden Triangle Express.
The Golden Triangle Express is a high speed automated people mover (APM)
that will shuttle passengers and freight between the TransCity San Diego
Multimodal Center and University City in less than six minutes. The Express
provides a quick link between two of the region's major commercial centers.
It provides San Diego North City residents and employees with an additional
travel mode option for connections to the Airport and Downtown, and
connections to the South Bay and East County via the MTDB light-rail system.
The high speed APM is budgeted at $200 million. It anticipates using
state-of-the-art magnetic propulsion technology to carry passengers at
speeds up to 180 miles per hour. Besides serving local transportation uses,
it will also provide a demonstration of the feasibility of intra-urban high
speed travel, cementing San Diego's role as a leader in transportation
technology.
The implementation of TransCity, the University City Shuttle and the Golden
Triangle Express will require a partnership with major commercial property
owners, the City of San Diego, the San Diego Unified Port District, and the
California Department of Transportation. SDIP's funding strategy is to
attract private sector investment financing for all projects. This can be
accomplished if the project yields sufficient rewards for those private
entities making this investment. Properly structured, all three projects
are expected to be financially self-sustaining. To provide a guarantee to
bond holders investing in the project, it will likely be necessary to create
special service districts to provide supplemental revenue. Assessments
applied to commercial properties will fund any shortfalls in transportation
revenues required to make bond repayments. The challenge is to structure
SDIP so that even if a maximum assessment is required, the financial rewards
to the assessed properties are sufficient to warrant that investment.
Surpluses generated by transportation revenues will be distributed to the
properties supporting the program.
Private property owners in the SDIP service area will experience significant
economic benefits. The primary benefits result from increased traffic
through commercial developments connected to SDIP. Higher retail sales and
higher office lease rates translate in additional real property revenues and
higher real property values. The increased traffic occurs for several
reasons. The first is that the presence of a new transportation
infrastructure traditionally induces new transportation demand. This new
demand will benefit those commercial areas served by the APM the most. The
second is the entertainment value of the APM, drawing people into the
commercial center that might otherwise shop or work at home, via their
computer. Shopping centers that have incorporated entertainment have
already experienced sharply increased sales. The third reason for increased
traffic will be that property owners can create better landscaped outdoor
areas once they have reduced their parking requirements. Experience shows
that people are more attracted to pedestrian scale outdoor areas, than large
automobile parking lots. Property owners will also benefit from the receipt
of commercial development rights, such as increased density allowances.
Increased densities will allow property owners to better use the land they
own, converting surplus parking areas into revenue generating commercial space.
The San Diego Intermodal Program benefits the public in several ways. The
most immediate benefit is the greater flexibility afforded to people
traveling in the SDIP service area. TransCity will improve their ability to
make connections to modes serving their destinations. The APM shuttles will
ease transportation in normally congested commercial centers. The Golden
Triangle Express will speed transportation between two major San Diego
commercial centers along a heavily traveled corridor. Another important
benefit is the reduced demand on public highways and roads. This will ease
congestion, reduce air pollution emissions and reduce traffic accident
incidents. The reduced use of roads will also lower the public funds
required to maintain and repair roads. One of the most important public
benefits will be an expansion of the tax base, as economic activity
increases and property values escalate.
The San Diego Intermodal Program is proposed as a program to help establish
the Center for Transportation Innovation (CTI). CTI's role will be that of
Program Director, responsible for coordinating and managing the contracts
and activities required to complete the Program. The SDIP will provide CTI
with a large amount of exposure, and a steady source of funding during its
initial years. The primary private sector proponent of the SDIP is
LandEagle Development, a transportation development company whose principals
have program management experience on programs ranging up to $1.5 billion.
The first phase is to write the Project Plan. Commercial sponsors seeking
to leverage the large amount of publicity that will accompany the TransCity
proposal are expected to help underwrite the $325,000 Project Plan budget.
The Project Plan will require six months to complete. The second phase of
the program is to identify and secure Project Funding. Each of the three
components of the SDIP will be funded separately. The third phase is
project Engineering and Approvals. This critical phase will require twelve
months, assuming a streamlined approval process. The final phase is
Fabrication and Construction. A fast track construction management approach
will allow this phase to be completed in eighteen months.
The San Diego Intermodal Program is still just an idea. But it is an idea
that can strengthen San Diego's economy, by strengthening the transportation
connections between home, work and play. The Regional Transportation
Technology Alliance can support San Diego transportation companies and
customers alike by first shaping, and then supporting the San Diego
Intermodal Program vision until it becomes reality.
For more details about this program, contact Tom Richert. See the ATRA home page for his phone and fax numbers. His e-mail address is landeagl@cts.com
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Last modified: April 24, 1996