San Diego to spend $243.3 million to improve mass transit

March 19, 2024

San Diego will spend $243.3 million on improving transit in FY 2025, including purchasing 10 electric buses for its fleet and building charging infrastructure.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors passed the largest capital improvement project budget in the agency’s history last week in part to boost the city’s goal of transitioning to an all-zero emissions bus fleet by 2040.

“Prioritizing this capital investment in our transit agency will help increase ridership and keep San Diego’s transit system in good working condition with modern amenities and well-maintained vehicles,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Chair and San Diego City Councilmember. “This is the largest capital improvement program in agency history, and it speaks to our growth and the commitment our region has for transit.”

The capital improvement budget includes 64 projects.

Top funding allocations include:

  • $69.5 million for rail infrastructure improvements and maintenance.  
  • $58.3 million for 38 new buses, including 10 battery-electric vehicles and 28 powered by compressed natural gas. 
  • $38.8 million for overhead charging infrastructure across all five divisions to support conversion to an all-electric bus fleet. 
  • $21 million for 22 new trolley vehicles. Funding will be added to the $71.7 million previously funded to replace aging vehicles in the fleet. 
  • $21.3 million for trolley and bus facilities maintenance and construction and projects to build passenger facilities at transit centers.


Miles Smith

Miles Smith has more than two decades of communications experience in the public and private sectors, including several years of covering local governments for various daily and weekly print publications. His scope of work includes handling public relations for large private-sector corporations and managing public-facing communications for local governments.

Smith has recently joined the team as a content writer for SPI’s news publications, which include Texas Government Insider, Government Contracting Pipeline and its newest digital product, Government Market News, which launched in September 2023. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s in journalism.

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