NCTD seeks TIGER grant for new station

California's North County Transit District (NCTD) said Monday, May 5, 2014 it has applied for a $5 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant, for use in establishing a transit facility on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Camp Pendleton is the largest employer in North San Diego County, NCTD said, with an “average daily base population of approximately 70,000.” Thought three NCTD BREEZE bus routes serve the facility, auto access predominates.

But in 2011 NCTD and Camp Pendleton representatives signed an agreement to explore siting a transit center on the base. Last year the U.S. Marine Cops Installations Command provided conceptual approval for the transit center, which would serve NCTD’s Coaster regional passenger rail service, “and potentially also serve Amtrak and Los Angeles-based Metrolink trains,” NCTD said.

“The Camp Pendleton Transit Center is a true partnership between NCTD, the Marine Corps, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and our transportation partners: Amtrak, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Metrolink. This partnership believes the transit center would provide the full range of economic and environment benefits to the base as well as the entire region,” said NCTD Executive Director Matthew O. Tucker. “We are confident the Department of Transportation will recognize the benefits and the alignment of this project with the government’s goals for the program and awards us this vital funding.”