San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
SHOULD THE SAN DIEGO TROLLEY EXTEND INTO TIJUANA?
YES
Border delays prevent San Diego and Tijuana from reaping the full benefits of integration for workers, commerce and tourism. The trolley extension is expected to reduce wait times by 75 percent, yielding huge gains in living standards for daily migrants, cost benefits to local businesses, and spurring tourism on both sides of the border. It will also increase the attractiveness of the two cities to domestic and foreign investors.
YES
Having people wait in their cars for hours to cross the border is an incredible waste of time, not to mention wasted gasoline and unnecessary environmental degradation. Making the commute easier will bring more business to San Diego. I would want to make sure that the security and border control are solid before signing off. That also is an area where I think we could be more efficient and effective if we fully utilize available technology.
YES
While I often opined that the trolley system is both a fiscal and functional bondage — both extremely costly over the years and carrying few passengers — the one line where it has value is the South Bay route, daily taking Mexicans to their San Diego workplaces. To expand it to Tijuana makes sense because it enhances the economic handshake between our nations with an obvious economic upside. It should be built.
YES
This would seem to be a logical extension of the San Diego trolley line. Cutting commute times from two to three hours to 10-15 minutes would be extremely helpful. The San Diego-mexico border is the most frequently crossed land route in the Western Hemisphere, including the key Tijuana link. The Cali-baja economy, encompassing San Diego, Baja, and Imperial Counties has a gross regional product of $250 billion. The trolley line would boost productivity, commerce and tourism.
YES
In theory, it sounds like a great idea, but it begs the question, is this a priority? The city has needs that take higher precedence including the city’s infrastructure, roads, extending the trolley line to the San Diego airport, and growing alternative public transportation options and making them more viable and reliable. Extending the trolley into Tijuana is estimated to cost $500 million — who will be paying for that (including the ongoing costs to maintain border security)? Not to mention the costs and funding for the other projects that SANDAG is proposing?
YES
The concept is exciting. Cross-border movement is vital to our economy. However, the substantial challenges lie in the complicated details. In order for this to be feasible, immigration checks on both sides would have to be much more efficient, large processing facilities would have to be built on prime real estate, improved infrastructure would need to be added to the trolley line. I would not wager this will be ironed out anytime soon.
NO
Conceptually, it is a great idea but the U.S. has not even come close to protecting our border. The trolley would create long lines to get on while officials check paperwork. Further, officials in Mexico and the U.S. do not have a plan on how they would implement border checks on the trolley. Protecting the border is critical and if we add in the trolley it will make border enforcement even more difficult.
NO
I think there are other local priorities for extensions of the trolley system here in the San Diego region that should be a higher priority than extending a line into Mexico. Additionally, there could be significant security and law enforcement concerns that would require the trolley cars themselves to be checked every time they cross the border — not just the passengers.