Federal Transit Administration Signs Record of Decision on Environmental Review
The Mid-Coast Trolley project reached a significant milestone this week when the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) signed the Record of Decision for the federal environmental document on October 15. Called the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), the approval of this environmental review is an important step forward in the effort to extend Trolley service to the northern part of San Diego. The Final SEIS will be available on the project website in early November.
“This is great news for our region,” said Supervisor Ron Roberts, a member of the SANDAG Board and champion of the Mid-Coast Trolley. “Obtaining the Record of Decision from the FTA brings us closer to providing fast, reliable transit service to dozens of communities and regional assets like the VA Hospital and UC San Diego.”
The next step will be for the SANDAG Board of Directors to certify the state environmental review, called the Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR). This is anticipated to happen in November.
The Mid-Coast Trolley is one of the region’s highest priority transit projects and is included in the TransNet Early Action Program. As an extension of the Trolley’s Blue Line, when complete, it will provide a one-seat (no transfer) ride from the international border and communities south of Downtown San Diego all the way to University City. It is projected to increase daily transit ridership by 21,000 people.
Construction on the Mid-Coast Trolley is anticipated to start in late 2015, with service beginning in 2019. In May, the SANDAG Board of Directors selected Mid-Coast Transit Constructors, a joint venture firm of Stacy & Witbeck, Inc., Skanska USA, and Herzog Contracting Corporation, to serve as the construction manager/general contractor for the project.
Visit sandag.org/midcoast for more information about the project. For information about contracting opportunities within the project for small businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), and Underutilized Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (UDBEs), please visit sandag.org/contracts.
