SANDAG, in partnership with the City of Chula Vista and Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), plans to construct a grade separation at the Palomar Street and MTS rail crossing at Industrial Boulevard. The planned grade separation will lower Palomar Street under the MTS rail tracks.
The improvements at the Palomar Street Transit Center will:
- Build a new two-lane bridge for Industrial Boulevard with a double tracked rail bridge over the lowered Palomar Street.
- Maintain the Class Two bike lanes on Palomar Street.
- Build wider sidewalks and provide more direct access for people who walk, bike, and roll to the Trolley station.
- Decrease vehicle emissions by reducing idling times previously caused by rail crossings.
Nearly 45,000 vehicles and 266 Blue Line Trolley trains cross this location daily. The high frequency of gate down times at the crossing causes major traffic delays, increases safety concerns, impedes emergency responders, impacts access to local businesses, and has adverse effects on the environment. The crossing has been the site of 85 accidents over a 10-year period. For these reasons, this project is ranked first on our grade separation priority list.
SANDAG and the City of Chula Vista were awarded $21.5 million through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. These funds will be used for the project's design phase, which includes acquiring right-of-way and relocating utilities ahead of the start of construction. Additional funding is needed for construction.
