FTA OKs San Diego LRT extension

The Federal Transit Administration has approved San Diego’s proposed extension of its Mid-Coast Corridor Transit light rail line, running from the city’s Old Town Transit center to the University of California-San Diego and Westfield University Town Center. The move allows the city to vie for federal funding support.

The 11-mile extension, with eight stops, is estimated to cost $1.2 billion, with half the funding expected from TransNet, a local half-cent sales tax passed by voters in 2008. The line is expected to serve 20,000 riders per weekday.

"This is a significant milestone for the Mid-Coast project," Metropolitan Transit System CEO Paul Jablonski said. "It means the federal government recognizes this as a needed and valuable piece of transportation infrastructure. It is a major step forward toward federal funding."