Opinion: University City Community Plan updates are needed

The Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley runs though UC San Diego.

The University City community offers the perfect opportunity to capitalize upon the Mid-Coast Trolley investment in a way that makes sense.

By Justine Nielsen

March 20, 2023 4:50 PM PT

Nielsen is senior vice president of development at IQHQ, a life sciences and real estate development company. She lives in Del Cerro.

The Mid-Coast Trolley Extension has been a smart investment in San Diego’s economy, in our climate and in equity. As we stand on the precipice of significant economic uncertainty, smart investments like this are increasingly rare and must be capitalized upon to their fullest extent.

Built to connect the jobs and homes in University City to the rest of the trolley network, the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension achieved this goal with resounding success. Ridership on the UC San Diego Blue Line has increased by a whopping 73 percent since the extension along the Mid-Coast Corridor opened in late 2021, and as explained in Circulate San Diego’s report, “Making the Most of the Mid-Coast Trolley,” this public investment presents a unique opportunity to grow our economy sustainably and equitably.

At the life science real estate development company where I work, we believe convenient access to transit is critical — not only for the sustainability benefits but also for the resulting access to diverse talent — and that’s why proximity to transit is one of the first factors we consider when deciding where to build and grow.

San Diego is a leader in life science, home to some of the most prominent companies in the industry. Our life science sector continues to grow steadily and boasts over 2,700 life science establishments and research institutes. With more than 71,000 local employees, the life science industry is a major economic engine of our region. These are high-paying jobs, with an average annual wage of more than $149,000, and the life science industry is responsible for a regional economic impact of nearly $50 billion.

The University City community offers the perfect opportunity to capitalize upon the Mid-Coast Trolley investment in a way that makes sense. It is home to many thriving businesses, and because of this convergence of industry, thousands of employees travel to their jobs daily via an already-congested freeway system. Our roads are limited — capacity cannot continue to expand in perpetuity. Population and employment in the Mid-Coast Corridor are expected to increase by 12 and 19 percent, respectively, by 2030. The full utilization of the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension is essential to San Diego’s success in accommodating current and future travel demand and serves as a catalyst for future business and residential development.

San Diego, like all cities, has planning and development regulations that govern the location and intensity of development in a given community. The University City community plan determines what can be built in University City, Sorrento Valley and the Torrey Mesa, and it plans for bicycle, pedestrian and bus facilities for the community. The current plan has been nearly built out and is now prohibiting the community from realizing the full benefits of the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension. The limitations of the current community plan have become our region’s biggest obstacle to continued economic and sustainable growth.

The current plan limits development of new homes and commercial space, including life science laboratories and offices — the exact types of places that drive San Diego’s prosperity. Pedestrians and bicyclists are also negatively impacted by this outdated plan as the infrastructure surrounding most trolley stations is not conducive to walking or cycling and will require long-range planning to accommodate these alternative modes of transportation.

The University Community Plan Update — a public process that has been ongoing for over five years — is critical to enable the growth of the community and the necessary public improvements needed to accommodate this growth. In addition to accommodating future development and growth of both, industry and housing, the community plan update will provide a safe street network for bicyclists and pedestrians and ensures buses can operate quickly and efficiently. Improved pedestrian facilities will make riders feel safe and welcome accessing Mid-Coast stations. In addition, small businesses will attract new employees, shoppers and diners, creating a pleasant and safe neighborhood experience for their patrons. By creating a place where people want to be, where progress can thrive, where jobs, homes, shops and restaurants are close together, we create neighborhoods served by abundant options for transportation and drivers can travel shorter distances — resulting in vibrant, more sustainable communities.

The San Diego Association of Governments spent $2.2 billion to create the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension and the city — as the most important member of the association — has an obligation to taxpayers to realize its full potential and ensure we build upon these investments as it continues the University Community Plan Update process. To achieve this, we must focus back on a common-sense vision — a vision of a thriving University City that capitalizes on our investments in transit to reduce car dependency, encourage multimodal transportation and ensure our city can reach its Climate Action Plan goals. This vision is bigger than the vocal minority of residents who would prefer not to see change. We must expeditiously update the University City community plan to unlock the full benefits of the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension.