Oceanside CA— The North County Transit District (NCTD) Board of Directors approved a staff recommendation at the April Board Meeting to enter into an agreement with IBI Group to design bus stop improvements and provide construction support for 18 BREEZE bus stops located in Escondido, Oceanside, and Vista. These stops were identified for improvement based on specified criteria including a need for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, customer usage, and customer feedback.
The agreement with IBI Group and the future construction improvements are part of NCTD’s Bus Stop Optimization Program to improve transit system speed, consolidate underutilized stops, potentially improve fuel economy, and improve bus stop infrastructure to enhance the customer experience. NCTD’s Bus Stop Optimization Program will be implemented in phases to add amenities and upgrades for compliance with ADA requirements. Future phases of the plan include improvements to stops in other cities within the NCTD service area.
NCTD operates 30 bus routes and has more than 1,800 bus stops throughout San Diego County. Average weekday ridership in FY2018 was over 21,000 with annual ridership being approximately 6.4 million. Improvements to bus stops may vary by stop and phase. All of the 18 stops identified in this phase will be improved with a bench, shelter, and trash can. In addition, advertising panels and solar lighting will be included.
“We believe customer amenities at each and every bus stop are important,” said NCTD’s Board Chair, Tony Kranz. “It’s just as important for our customers to feel comfortable while they’re waiting for the bus as it is while they’re riding the bus. These design plans will be a step toward the future of continually improving all of our bus stops and transit centers to meet our customers’ needs.”
It is estimated that the design phase of the bus stop improvement project will be completed by September 2019. NCTD estimates that this project will be ready for a construction bid in January 2020 with a contract awarded in March 2020. The construction schedule will be established as part of the contract award.
Moving forward, NCTD will ask local agencies to improve sidewalks and other city and county owned infrastructure to facilitate NCTD’s bus stop improvements. NCTD staff is currently identifying the top 100 bus stops that cities and the county need to improve as part of NCTD’s partnership to enhance the quality of life and meet the transportation needs of people in north county. NCTD hopes to expedite improvements for customers by leveraging its resources and efforts with local partners.