Project to create bus pathway on Monterey Peninsula gets green light
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey-Salinas Transit Board has voted unanimously in favor of the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit Project.
Debbie Tiongco is a Marina resident who has used the bus almost every day for the past 40 years. This new project is a great idea that would not only benefit commuters like herself but also feels it will help the environment by getting more drivers off the road, she said.
“I hope it happens real soon," said Tiongco. "I hope it doesn’t take too long because now that I’ve heard about it, I'm anxious to take advantage of it. And I'm sure others will want to do the same."
Glen Arrueda is also Marina Resident who relies on public transportation to get around. According to Arrueda, improvements need to be made when it comes to pricing and service. He’s experienced bus delays because of traffic and he said this project will help address this issue.
“It does make it kind of difficult for drivers when they take the freeway," said Arrueda. "For them to have their own roads would be perfect.”
The project SURF is expected to get bus riders to their destination much faster, saving commuters up to 16 minutes. The pathway will run from Marina to Sand City through an existing corridor. MST's CEO Carl Sedoryk said this will benefit people who depend on public transportation but also attract those who currently don’t use it.
“When people who are stuck in traffic on highway one and their own cars and see the buses, passing them and arriving at their destination sooner, that will attract more people in the transit out of their cars," said Sedoryk. "That will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will reduce pollution into the bay from a variety of sources, that are created by traffic.”
The construction is estimated to cost $55 million. So far, $15 million has already been allocated with local funding. In 2016, more than 67% of Monterey County residents voted in favor of the project through Measure X.
The next step in this project is to continue to work in planning, including design and permits. And look at how to obtain the other $40 million dollars needed to fund the project.
"So we need to look to the state and perhaps federal government to identify the rest of the funding. Before we can start construction," said Sedoryk.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027 and so far only 35% of the design has been completed. Residents will have the opportunity to participate in providing recommendations throughout the year.
