Mid-Coast Corridor Trolley Expansion Project

The Mid-Coast Trolley will expand transportation capacity in the corridor to accommodate existing and future travel demand, particularly for peak-period commute trips. The project will provide an effective alternative to congested freeways and roadways for travelers and will result in fewer vehicle miles being traveled.

The University City area has developed as a major employment and high density residential area, similar to Downtown San Diego. Although University City is considered San Diego’s second downtown and UCSD is one of the region’s largest trip generators, neither is directly served by regional transit. The Mid-Coast Trolley extension will provide efficient transit connections to University City and UCSD, as well as frequent and reliable Trolley service throughout the corridor. Transportation models indicate that the new trolley service will attract 20,000 new transit riders a day to the system.

The Trolley extension route begins just north of the Old Town Transit Center and travels in existing railroad right-of-way and alongside Interstate 5 to Gilman Drive. It crosses to the west side of I-5 just south of Nobel Drive and continues on to the UCSD campus, crosses back to the east side of I-5 near Voigt Drive to serve the UCSD east campus and Scripps Memorial Hospital, transitions into the median of Genesee Avenue, and continues down Genesee Avenue to the Westfield UTC transit center (view map).

SANDAG has worked with the community to refine and develop designs for each station. View presentations made to corridor planning groups highlighting the design features of stations in the University Community, Pacific Beach, Clairemont, and Linda Vista.

Nine new stations will be constructed at Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive, Balboa Avenue, Nobel Drive, VA Medical Center, Pepper Canyon (serving UCSD west campus), Voigt Drive (serving UCSD east campus), Executive Drive, and the Terminus Station at the Westfield UTC Transit Center. View station simulations.