The future of transportation in San Diego is coming soon.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) held a general meeting through Zoom late last month, outlining their anticipated 2025 regional plan.

A panel of metropolitan planners and directors detailed their goals for the future of San Diego transportation and took time to field residents’ questions in the latter half of the meeting.

SANDAG, formed in 1980, helps to facilitate transportation of people and goods through public transportation across 18 cities and 17 tribal governments in San Diego county.

SANDAG’s primary goals include planning, building, preserving and providing for nearly 3.3 million residents in San Diego County. Decisions are made by the organization’s board and financed by taxpayer dollars.

Using a combination of data, analysis and public opinion, the board creates a regional plan every four years. The Zoom meeting highlighted some of the lessons that the board learned after 2021’s plan, and how they hope to improve public transit for 2025.

The panel highlighted four goals they have based on the successes and shortcomings of the 2021 plan — pursue programs that reduce pollution, work more with local agencies, reduce waiting times for public transit and avoid adding more lanes to freeways.

Adding additional highway lanes, principal regional planner Tuere Fa’aola noted, can contribute to equal or increased congestion on freeways.

One of the primary goals of the 2025 regional plan is to make public transit a more attractive option for residents, which can thereby reduce pollution and congestion.

For college students, public transit can be an essential resource.

Nick McKinstry, a Rolando Village resident and business administration major at San Diego State University, uses public transit frequently.

“I use it whenever I go to Padres games, Old Town, downtown or Snapdragon (stadium),” McKinstry said. “The experience is positive overall. It’s nice to have public transportation and it definitely saves college kids money. But there are a few downsides to it.”

McKinstry mentioned problems with safety and long wait times, which can become a hindrance to people who work in downtown San Diego.

Other local residents, including Laura Riebau, have expressed concern over increased focus on public transit and lesser emphasis on individually-owned vehicles.

“While transit is needed in the San Diego region and we are lucky to have it as one of our mobility choices, many in our area don’t see SANDAG’s plan as realistic,” Riebau said. “It is not possible for many of us to do all of the things we do in our daily lives by transit.”

Residents will have an opportunity to voice concerns and provide their insight as the 2025 plan is developed. The panelists announced that the SANDAG team will gather public feedback from July to September, and address those comments at board meetings in the following months.

The Q&A portion of the meeting allowed residents to voice concerns and give their perspective on SANDAG’s proposals. Featured topics included road usage fees, greenhouse gas emission levels and San Diego’s Pronto system.

SANDAG also announced that a social pinpoint tool will soon be available on their main website. Through this feature, residents can observe project timelines, leave comments and even become involved in the planning process.

Residents can attend upcoming workshops in upcoming months, taking place both virtually and in-person.

For more information, visit: SANDAG.org/RegionalPlanUpdates.

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