What don't you like about San Diego? (Riverside, Corona: how much, earthquakes)

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

They go to the malls, stadium, downtown, and SDSU. I think those are completely legit mass-transit destinations. There's huge logistical/engineering problems with getting the trolley/light rail up the hill into the Hillcrest/North Park area (also why there's no plans for a light-rail system to go up the I-15 corridor, the grades are too steep), which his exactly why they're doing the huge bus/transit project along ECB to try to fill the gap.

SD isn't like some other cities where a lot of people live/work downtown. So it's a nice perk, but for many people, it doesn't really serve a point. And downtown has improved over the years, can't imagine the point of a downtown trolley years ago when most people didn't even want to go downtown.

If you look at the Bart & CalTrain and so on up in San Fran and Silicon valley, I could ride my bike to many stations and get to work. Never needed a car and I could be 30+ miles from home/work. I spent time in Berkeley and worked in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Redwood shores and so on. I never had a car while I was up there and I still got to see pretty much everything. Are there some issues like transfers and timing and still needing to have a bike to get from Redwood city to Redwood shores? Yes, but it's very useful for many many people.

Legit Mass transportation to me is having a system that takes many people back/forth to work. Anything else and it's a nice tourist thing, it's a nice idea, but it's kind of pointless for most people.
Silicon Valley and San Fran are spread out, but if I lived in San Fran and worked in Sunnyvale, I still could get to work. If I lived in Oakland and worked in San Jose, I still could get to work.

In San diego, if you live downtown and work in Rancho Bernardo, you aren't taking public transportation. And there are many companies located in Rancho Bernardo. That is a huge difference. If the mass transportation pretty much avoids where most of the companies that employ a lot of people are located, it's not really a legit mass transportation system. And don't use buses, because nobody really thinks about Buses as a way to get from Downtown to Rancho Bernardo. But if there were a train or trolley that came close enough, people like me would think about it.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

Legit Mass transportation to me is having a system that takes many people back/forth to work. Anything else and it's a nice tourist thing, it's a nice idea, but it's kind of pointless for most people.
Silicon Valley and San Fran are spread out, but if I lived in San Fran and worked in Sunnyvale, I still could get to work. If I lived in Oakland and worked in San Jose, I still could get to work.

Have you ever seen the SD Trolley during peak times... through Mission Valley it standing room only and the Blue Line from downtown to the border is especially OVERCROWDED. It is mass transit as far as I am concerned.

However, I do agree that it going to places like Sorrento Valley, Rancho Bernardo, and UTC and other white collar job centres would solidify its presence here in SD County. But would people working in these areas even use it....we shall see once the UTC extension happens.

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by Pedro2000

SD isn't like some other cities where a lot of people live/work downtown. So it's a nice perk, but for many people, it doesn't really serve a point. And downtown has improved over the years, can't imagine the point of a downtown trolley years ago when most people didn't even want to go downtown.

If you look at the Bart & CalTrain and so on up in San Fran and Silicon valley, I could ride my bike to many stations and get to work. Never needed a car and I could be 30+ miles from home/work. I spent time in Berkeley and worked in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Redwood shores and so on. I never had a car while I was up there and I still got to see pretty much everything. Are there some issues like transfers and timing and still needing to have a bike to get from Redwood city to Redwood shores? Yes, but it's very useful for many many people.

Legit Mass transportation to me is having a system that takes many people back/forth to work. Anything else and it's a nice tourist thing, it's a nice idea, but it's kind of pointless for most people.
Silicon Valley and San Fran are spread out, but if I lived in San Fran and worked in Sunnyvale, I still could get to work. If I lived in Oakland and worked in San Jose, I still could get to work.

In San diego, if you live downtown and work in Rancho Bernardo, you aren't taking public transportation. And there are many companies located in Rancho Bernardo. That is a huge difference. If the mass transportation pretty much avoids where most of the companies that employ a lot of people are located, it's not really a legit mass transportation system. And don't use buses, because nobody really thinks about Buses as a way to get from Downtown to Rancho Bernardo. But if there were a train or trolley that came close enough, people like me would think about it.

I live in North Park and work in Escondido, and you're right, I don't take public transportation. I did already address why we have no light rail going up the 15 corridor- we do have the Coaster going up the 5 corridor. They are attempting to address the lack of transportation up the 15 corridor with the new rapid bus system, which begins this summer, and which I am excited to try out and hopefully use at least several times a week.

I'm not trying to argue that we have anything like what SF and its surrounding areas has as far as public transport, but you most certainly can get to the employment centers *except* those that are located on the I-15 corridor via public transportation (downtown- trolley, bus, sorrento valley- coaster, mission valley (qualcomm)- trolley, bus) and at least the I-15 corridor is being addressed now.

[Tall]

not enough rain

[Stoney.]

[quote=elchevere;34884359]I also don't like when I call SDPD, I get a recording instead of a dispatcher 9 out of 10 times.

You've actually called the cops that many times? What on earth for? I've dialed 911 maybe once in my life.
But back to the thread....too much litter on the freeway embankments and shoulders. Wish the city did a better job of cleaning it up. And I don't like the red left turn arrows. Seems like every intersection with a traffic light has one. Instead of being able to turn left on a green light after yielding to oncoming traffic, you can only turn left on a green arrow and once it turns red you have to sit there unable to turn left (even if there's no oncoming traffic) through the entire cycle until you get another green arrow while wasting gas and time.

[JohnAlt]

Originally Posted by Losfrisco

Many of the trolley stops are places I would never think to go to, yet there is no trolley stop even near Hillcrest, which is one of the most (if not the most) urbanized areas of the entire city/metro area that also happens to have an ongoing parking crisis. Hey wait....the trolley doesn't stop anywhere uptown unless you include OLT. Maybe instead of mocking/criticizing Los Angeles someone should be taking notes...

Oh well, if there's ever a big event in Santee or Lemon Grove, at least they've got me covered there.

They already had railroad tracks to use for a large part of the trolley. That's why it runs through Lemon Grove, Encanto, and SE San Diego. Running the trolley through Hillcrest would cost a fortune and the traffic delays during construction would be ridiculous. Same with running it through the El Cajon Blvd corridor.

[8to32characters]

The road/freeway quality in San Diego is very poor, esp. in San Diego city limits.

May Grey/June Gloom sucks, too.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by 8to32characters

The road/freeway quality in San Diego is very poor, esp. in San Diego city limits.

May Grey/June Gloom sucks, too.

Can you elaborate? I find it quite good.

For example, the IH 5 is good all the way from Tijuana, through SD County, through OC, when you hit the LA County limits then it is horrible.

I can say the same thing about the 15 through SD County, through Riverside, but once you hit SB County it is of poor standards.

The 8, which I use daily, is decent as well.

Every Freeway is of 3-6 lanes each way and is smooth. 52 kind of bumpy but it is built over an old dump. So can you elaborate on poor?

SD city surface streets are a different story, but freeways are good, even the 2 lane 163 thru Balboa Park.

[elchevere]

Stoney--You are aware there is a difference between 911 and the non emergency police dispatch number of 531-2000.

Living downtown, I call for late night disturbances (noise) from other buildings, when traffic signals are non-functioning (happens more than infrequently), to inquire why the loud police helicopter has been circling over my condo for the past 25 minutes at 3AM and when it might end so I can get back to sleep, to inquire what the police helicopter loudspeaker is saying ( often unclear) when they are pursuing a criminal downtown, to report a problem with a non-operating trolley/train crossing gate that is causing a traffic jam, to report an overly aggressive and annoying panhandler and or one that is walking up and down the street knocking down signs, to report broken glass in the street that could cause flat tires, etc etc....perhaps you live in a more desolate area of SD than downtown and do not encounter such things that I deem worthy of contacting SDPD.

[elchevere]

Surface streets in SD are a shade better than Tijuana...never seen so many potholes, you would think the roads here suffer from Northeast winters.

If you do get a flat as a result of a pothole you are entitled to file a claim v the City of San Diego and get reimbursed for the remaining life value of your damaged tire(s) provided you were driving within the posted speed limit.