The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and UC San Diego Health announced the system’s Blue Line trolley system, which is in the process of being extended, will be renamed the “UC San Diego Blue Line,” to highlight the opportunity for all San Diegans to seek medical care at UC San Diego Health facilities.
“The health system has long been committed to playing an important and positive role in the life and lives of this region and its residents,” said Paul Viviano, CEO of UC San Diego Health. “This agreement is a figurative and literal reflection of that commitment. It represents a new, smart and sustainable way for San Diegans to visit, learn and access the diverse services we offer.”
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MTS is currently working in conjunction with the San Diego Association of Governments, the California Department of Transportation, elected officials, and other stakeholders to develop and complete the 11-mile Blue Line extension (Mid-Coast Project) from Old Town to University Town Center by 2019.
“UC San Diego and MTS have been partners since 1969, working to encourage the use of public transportation,” said Paul Jablonski, MTS CEO. “The renaming of the Blue Line to the UC San Diego Blue Line takes our partnership to a new level. The UC San Diego Blue Line extension will not only provide a great new way to travel to campus, but UC San Diego Health will realize exceptional opportunities to increase awareness of its world-class medical facilities via the naming rights for 30 miles of light rail service.”
The 30-year agreement includes naming rights to three stations on the line: the existing station at Old Town, to be renamed Old Town UC San Diego Health South, and planned stations at the UC San Diego main campus and at the health campus in La Jolla, which includes UC San Diego Jacobs Medical Center, slated to open in 2016.
MTS will receive an annual fee, beginning at $675,000 with subsequent increases tied to Mid-Coast project completion and the local Consumer Price Index. All funding for the sponsorship is from non-state sources.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
