To increase operational efficiency and support future infrastructure upgrades, the North County Transit District (NCTD) will remove and/or consolidate approximately 90 bus stops throughout North San Diego County. The changes are part of a bus stop optimization program, which is one of several strategies that NCTD is advancing to increase transit utilization, and set to take place in April.

For the first phase of the program, NCTD reviewed stop spacing, ridership, and information from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to identify stops with the potential for elimination and/or consolidation. Approximately 90 bus stops were identified for removal or consolidation based on the review.

NCTD’s board of directors has adopted bus stop design guidelines that provide general guidance for locating bus stops and determining the type of bus stop furniture that should be provided at stops. By eliminating and consolidating underutilized or substandard bus stops, NCTD will be able to focus future improvements on the most utilized stops.

NCTD has many bus stops that were established prior to the enactment of the ADA in 1992 that have not been improved. New or improved bus stops are required to be ADA-compliant. A future phase of the bus stop optimization program will include constructing ADA improvements to stops that have high utilization and/or are near facilities that serve disadvantaged communities. Soon, the NCTD board will consider an item for bus stop improvement design and construction support services.

In January, NCTD sent notification letters to North County cities regarding the proposed elimination of the specific bus stops in each city. These letters included a detailed list of stop locations and the average daily users of each stop. In February, additional information was presented to the NCTD board regarding the route improvements.