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San Marcos, Calif., Could Use Shuttles in Future

Posted on: Thursday, 23 February 2006, 15:00 CST

By David Sterrett, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.

Feb. 23--SAN MARCOS -- Shuttle services could play a key role in reducing traffic congestion in a proposed downtown center near San Marcos Creek, city officials told a citizens task force Wednesday.

The task force appointed by the City Council to help create a development plan for the creek area heard presentations Wednesday about traffic and regional funding sources available for projects that provide a combination of shops, offices and homes near transportation corridors.

The preliminary plans approved by the group for the redevelopment project call for 1,725 condominiums, 575 apartments and 1.7 million square feet of shops and office space in a 100-acre area between the creek, San Marcos Boulevard, Grand Avenue and Discovery Street.

With these new shops, offices and homes, San Marcos needs to consider ways to handle the increased traffic, consultant Joseph Kott told the task force.

"We are pretty confident a shuttle will work," Kott said. "We have a good appreciation for the potential of a shuttle here with a Sprinter rail, university campus and evolving downtown."

A new downtown is part of the project that also includes restoring the creek to its natural state, creating a channel to prevent flooding and building several bridges and roads in the area.

The city expects private developers to pay for half of the roughly $200 million in improvements needed in the mostly occupied land belonging to roughly 70 different property owners, and these estimates include providing for more parking and transportation.

It will likely take at least 10 or 15 years for the project to be completely built, and the amount of development in the project will depend on how much traffic the local roads can accommodate, city officials have said.

Developers and the city could build more condominiums and shops by creating central parking, car-pool groups and shuttle services, Kott said.

He said that shuttles are successful when they run short routes, frequently connect to major transit centers, and gain the trust and confidence of the community.

Specific routes or cost estimates for San Marcos haven't yet been created, but stations for the Sprinter light-rail line running from Oceanside to Escondido could provide attractive stops, and Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College and large companies could provide many riders, Kott said.

"You need to understand who you want to take onboard," Kott said. "But shuttles are used by everyone."

He praised shuttle systems in places such as Austin, Texas, Stanford University and the city of Emeryville in northern California.

"I think shuttles could work," said task force member Terry Allison, who works at Cal State San Marcos.

Allison said he was encouraged about the prospect of a shuttle linking Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College, the Civic Center and a new downtown area near the creek.

Several task force members, however, questioned whether a shuttle would attract riders.

"It's a hard sell to get people out of their cars," task force member Dean Nelson said. "In California, we are defined by our cars."

To accommodate the cars coming into a new downtown area, Kott said the task force should look at creating central parking garages.

Allowing people to park once and then be able walk from their work to lunch or from home to the store can reduce congestion on the streets.

"Having people park in one area and not have to drive around makes a lot of sense," said task force member Rebecca Jones.

Parking garages are also very expensive and can cost at much as $77,000 a space to build, Kott said.

To help pay for such necessary structures, the city could consider creating a public agency that could take out bonds to fund the construction, said Assistant City Manager Paul Malone.

Funding for urban projects could also be available from the San Diego Association of Governments, said Susan Baldwin, a senior regional planner for the organization.

Starting in 2008, the regional planning agency will award about $7 million a year countywide for projects that put housing, shops and offices near major transportation centers, Baldwin said.

She said future projects near Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College, the Heart of the City and the creek area could all be eligible for funding under a plan created by the regional organization.

"There is a potential in San Marcos for an urban center, which is significantly unique in North County," task force member Dean Tilton said. "And plans for rapid transit and traffic coincide with our plans for this area."

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Copyright (c) 2006, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.

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Source: North County Times

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