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    1. Technology
    2. Facilities

    MTS Board selects site for region's first all-electric bus operations and maintenance facility

    Oct. 21, 2022
    The CTAC will support the agency's plant to transition to a zero-emission fleet by 2040 and have room to charge and service up to 250 zero-emission buses.
    San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
    Mts Cleanbus 63521c66a4d2a

    The Metropolitan Transit System's Board of Directors in San Diego selected a new site for the agency's MTS Clean Transit Advancement Campus (CTAC), which will be the region's first all-electric bus operations and maintenance facility. 

    This will be MTS' sixth bus division, and will be designed to park, charge and service up to 250 zero-emission buses. The new project will allow for full bus fleet electrification and bring up to 600 new job opportunities, apprenticeship and training programs to the local community. The Board also approved the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the site, wrapping up the California Environmental Quality Act process.

    "The construction of this facility is critical for the future of clean transit in San Diego, and after months of analyses and studies, we are excited to get it closer to the finish line," said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair and Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "As we continue to prioritize the electrification of our buses, moving forward with the development of this project will get us to an all zero-emission bus fleet by 2040."

    The CTAC site is in the Ridgeview-Webster area, on Federal Blvd. near State Route 94.

    "I am proud to see the future of clean transportation taking root in District 4," said Monica Montgomery Steppe, MTS Board Member, and San Diego City Council President Pro Tempore, representing District 4 where the CTAC campus will be located. "I appreciate the work of the MTS staff and thank all the community members who provided input to help us select this site. This new division will allow us to provide more equitable clean transit options for our residents, and directly benefit families in San Diego with good paying jobs."

    The approval of this site comes after 14 months of community engagement and studies conducted by MTS and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). This site was among six others that were being analyzed for consideration.

    The site selection was made based on the following factors:

    • Benefits for operations, including easy access to main roads and freeways; central location for existing and future bus service
    • Community impacts, including limited traffic impact to surrounding neighborhoods; utilizing existing commercial property only
    • Constructability
    • Anticipated acquisition cost

    The Board's site selection and MND approval for the project now gives MTS the green light to proceed towards federal environmental clearance and ultimately site acquisition. The project timeline is expected to be as follows:

    • Site Selection & Environmental Clearance: 2022-2023 (In progress)
    • Design: 2023-2025
    • Construction: 2025-2027
    • Completion/Opening: 2027-2028

    Funding: MTS estimates the project cost to be $240-$390 million. The project will be initially funded through MTS' Capital Improvement Program, but MTS will seek grants and federal funding participation as the project progresses.