East County residents are gearing up for some major changes to trolley service this fall, as three stations between Santee and El Cajon may be removed from the regular trolley network to become part of a new “copper” line.
Critics argue that these changes are yet another example of East County being shortchanged when it comes to transit and public resources. However, community leaders are optimistic about the benefits the changes could bring.
If approved by the Metropolitan Transit System board this summer, residents from Santee traveling to Mission Valley, San Diego State, or other popular destinations would have to take two trains instead of one. They would need to take the copper line from Santee to the El Cajon Transit Center and transfer to either the green or orange line.
MTS officials claim that these changes would significantly improve the overall transit system by enhancing the green line’s on-time performance, leading to more reliable transfers to buses and other trolley lines.
The proposed changes could have a negative impact on 8 percent of green line users and approximately 2,000 people traveling from Santee to locations west of El Cajon. However, MTS officials believe that the benefits outweigh the cons, with estimated annual savings of $1 million due to running one-car trains on the copper line instead of three-car trains on the green line.
While some concerns about safety and inconvenience have been raised, community leaders are hopeful that the overall benefits to the system will justify the changes. Residents will have to wait to see how things progress as further analysis and approvals are carried out.
