At the November 2 Coronado City Council meeting, the council voted 4 to 1 to explore expanding the free summer shuttle by a few weeks, and to increase the frequency to every 15 minutes, at an estimated cost of $30,000 per year. In summers past, the shuttle ran from the week after Memorial Day through the week after Labor Day with stops every 30 minutes (the service frequency was increased to 20 minute intervals in 2015).
The council also created an informal ad hoc subcommittee to consider a way to provide better bus service along the Silver Stand. Councilwoman Carrie Downey and Councilman Mike Woiwode agreed to serve and to report any ideas they come up with. The vote was unanimous.
Downey first broached the idea of expanding the free shuttle service. The council agreed and asked the staff to look at ways the service could be expanded and to offer some ballpark estimates for the costs. In voting, the council did not change the popular shuttle program in any way, it simply voted to review what the city’s active transportation planner, Mariah VanZerr, deemed a “broad-brush request,” and she stressed that the staff’s “intent was to begin a conversation” with the city council.
VanZerr’s report came with no hard recommendations or firm alternatives. Instead it offered a broad range of options to consider, everything from adding a few extra days and a few extra hours to the current summer shuttle service, to creating loops to service North Island Naval Air Station and the Silver Strand. There was even an option for the council to consider buying its own buses and fronting its own shuttle service.
Similar points were addressed that Downey had cited in her request to the council to consider improving public transportation and to “direct staff to analyze how to expand the success of the summer shuttle program.” Ridership was up this summer as some 116,499 hopped aboard. That’s a 48% percent increase from 2014 and 110% over 2013, according to the staff report. When asked, most riders said they would like to see the service extended year around.
Despite the report and discussion, Councilman Richard Bailey didn’t share Downey’s enthusiasm. “I’m a numbers guy,” the finance analyst said. For him the numbers didn’t add up. He pointed out that the shuttle service only got 30% of the people out of their cars, according to a ridership survey the city conducted over the summer. The rest would have found another alternative, including 46% who said they would walk. He also pointed out that almost as many people 29% said that they took to the bus because they “wouldn’t have to worry about parking.” With the exodus of summer visitors after Labor Day, finding a parking space is less troublesome
The rest of the council was willing look at expanding the service by it making available to residents for a few weeks before the summer guests arrive and after they go home. “Thirty thousand [dollars] is a modest fee to help our residents,” said Councilman Bill Sandke. “With the existing schedule it’s enough time to see if people are going to ride it or not.” A detailed report on the cost and options for expanding the service is expected in the spring and the council will make a final decision then.
As part of a broader discussion on public transportation, the council also looked at improving service to the Silver Stand, and more specifically to Coronado Cays residents. “Lots of parents say that the Strand is worse than ever. It used to take 15 minutes to get my kids to school, now it takes 40,” Downey said. The service offered by the MTS is no better. “The hours are crappy and most have to walk further than they are comfortable with,” she added. While it was generally acknowledged that there was a need, there was some reluctance to expand service to the Cays. Some 15 years ago there was a Cays loop with a stop at parking lot near the Cays Fire Station. So few people used it that the MTS cancelled the route. Before moving forward “we should go back and find out why that was,” Woiwode said.
The decades long effort to post signs to help visitors make their way around the island came closer to being realized. The council voted to pay Stanford Sign & Awning $210,320 to create wayfinding signage, including a kiosk with a city map and safe travel routes to popular destinations at the Ferry Landing pier. The Port of San Diego will pay half the cost, up to $200,000 for the project.
The item was on the consent calendar, which passed unanimously. Making no effort to remove it for discussion, Bailey voted against the contract. “I think they are unnecessary, create visual clutter, and are a waste of taxpayers money…technology has outpaced the need for these signs in the form of smartphones,” he said in an e-mail explaining his vote.
The council also reappointed Patrick Callahan and appointed Alexander Fitzpatrick to the Bicycle Advisor Committee (BAC). Both are attorneys and bicycle enthusiasts. Al Ovrom was appointed to the Community Development Successor Agency, the Board of Directors of Coronado Hospital Foundation and Sharp Coronado Hospital.
