Oceanside, CA—The North County Transit District (NCTD) operates 30 BREEZE bus routes and four FLEX deviated fixed-routes collectively serving Carlsbad, Camp Pendleton, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos, Solana Beach, Vista, and rural San Diego County. Average weekday ridership between October and December 2018 was over 21,000 for BREEZE and about 100 for FLEX.
To increase operational efficiency and support future infrastructure upgrades, NCTD will remove and/or consolidate approximately 90 bus stops throughout North San Diego County. These changes will occur in conjunction with the semi-annual bus schedule change on April 7, 2019. These changes are part of a bus stop optimization program which is one of several strategies that NCTD is advancing to increase transit utilization.
For the first phase of the program, NCTD reviewed stop spacing, ridership, and information from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to identify stops with the potential for elimination and/or consolidation. Approximately 90 bus stops were identified for removal or consolidation based on the review.
NCTD’s board of directors has adopted bus stop design guidelines that provide general guidance for locating bus stops and determining the type of bus stop furniture that should be provided at stops. By eliminating and consolidating underutilized or substandard bus stops, NCTD will be able to focus future improvements on the most utilized stops.
NCTD has many bus stops that were established prior to the enactment of the ADA in 1992 that have not been improved. New or improved bus stops are required to be ADA-compliant. A future phase of the bus stop optimization program will include constructing ADA improvements to stops that have high utilization and/or are near facilities that serve disadvantaged communities. Soon, the NCTD Board will consider an item for Bus Stop Improvement Design and Construction Support Services.
In January, NCTD sent notification letters to North County cities regarding the proposed elimination of the specific bus stops in each city. These letters included a detailed list of stop locations and the average daily users of each stop. In February, additional information was presented to the NCTD Board regarding these route improvements.
NCTD will provide notice on its website and signage at each bus stop proposed for elimination at least 30 days prior to the changes. The notices will provide contact information for NCTD Customer Service who can direct customers to the nearest bus stop. Additional information on specific stop removals can be found at GoNCTD.com.
