By Liz Alper
October 9, 2015 (SAN DIEGO) - A new study has been released analyzing how trolley stops encourage ridership and affect the standard of living in neighborhoods by trolley stations, and San Diego's Metropolitan Transit System did not arrive at the right grade. See study here.
The entire trolley system was given a C-, with some East County stations receiving failing F grades.
The study, done by the UC Berkeley School of Law's Center for Law, Energy and the Environment examined stations and neighborhoods within a half-mile radius of 489 trolley stops in California. The study was based on 11 factors, including use by residents and workers, number of jobs or homes near the station, distance, crime, change in real estate values between 2009-2013, affordability and greenhouse gas levels.
San Diego was tied for last with the Santa Clara Transportation Authority (San Jose/Silicon Valley). Within the system, Gillespie Field in El Cajon won the honors of worst station in the state because according to the study, it is used by almost no one.
The best stations in San Diego according to the study were 12th and Imperial and a station on C Street, which both received B's.
The stations that received Fs were Spring Street in La Mesa, Santee Town Center, El Cajon Transit Center, Fenton Parkway and Massachusetts Avenue in Lemon Grove.
Despite the report, MTS Public Relations Specialist Mark Olson touted the success rate of the trolley system.
"The scorecard provided just a narrow scope of measurements related to MTS," Olson said in a statement released to East County Magazine.
"MTS enjoys exceptionally high customer satisfaction – 92 percent. That fact, combined with our growing ridership is the true indication of our system's performance," he concluded.