Cranes and hardhats will join spiral notebooks, economics textbooks and cell phones as common sights on the San Diego State University campus this fall.
The university and the surrounding community are experiencing a building boom, with direct effects on the region’s transportation infrastructure.
When construction is finished, students and residents of the College Area will have a new trolley extension, bus station/transit center, additional parking facilities and more housing within walking distance of the campus.
University officials say this “smart growth” strategy will improve parking and traffic in and around the campus, plus encourage the use of mass transit.
Vital to the university’s future is the Mission Valley East Trolley Extension. Contractors have made significant progress on this Metropolitan Transit Development Board project over the summer.
“The trolley at SDSU fits perfectly with the university’s overall vision to enhance access and provide a superior learning environment,” said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber. “We are a modern, urban campus and the trolley, with its loop up to the front door of the university, will create another dynamic way for SDSU to integrate with the greater San Diego community.”
The work at SDSU is just one part of MTDB’s overall Mission Valley East project, a $431 million, 5.9-mile trolley extension from Mission Valley to La Mesa that will complete a loop of trolley lines around the greater San Diego metropolitan area.
When finished, the project will increase the capacity of the Interstate 8 transportation corridor with improved trolley access for thousands of people from east Mission Valley out to Santee.
– Trolley Benefits SDSU, Region
When operational in 2005, this newest section of the trolley system’s Blue Line will have four new stations: Grantville, SDSU, Alvarado Hospital and 70th Street.
University officials also expect the trolley to bring many benefits to SDSU, including:
o Improved access to the campus for students, faculty and staff as well as to people visiting the university for events at Cox Arena, the Open Air Theater and other venues;
o Relief of traffic and parking congestion near campus;
o Significant savings to people who currently drive cars to the campus;
o A “bridge” between the campus and the U.S./ Mexico border.
This summer, crews focused on completing the relocation of utility lines to pave the way for the & #382;-mile-long trolley tunnel that will loop underneath the central campus. Another major project is excavation of the Aztec Walk/Aztec Green area at the center of campus, which will be the site of the trolley system’s first underground station.
Currently, most of the construction work on campus is concentrated near Aztec Center, where College Avenue reaches the top of the hill from Interstate 8. The transit station is under construction at the site, with underground access to the trolley and aboveground bus stops.
When completed, the transit station will be 50 feet wide, 50 feet tall and 300 feet long, equivalent in size to a 30-story building lying on its side. The work requires large backhoes and trucks to dig and haul dirt from the southeast side of campus.
– Traffic Flow Not Impacted
To minimize impact on classrooms when the fall semester starts in September, sound walls surround the construction sites.
Crews also have begun to dig the trolley tunnel’s path under College Avenue. Although this work will require lanes on the road to be temporarily closed, most of the work on College Avenue will be conducted at night to ensure smooth traffic flow during peak hours.
Also planned as part of the trolley project is the replacement of the southernmost pedestrian bridge over College Avenue. The new suspension-style bridge will span more than 100 feet, connecting the eastern residence halls to the central campus.
The Mission Valley East trolley project, which has a federal Full Funding Grant Agreement, recently received a $65 million appropriation from the federal government. It is the fourth largest federal commitment to a transportation project in the United States.
The university is also addressing its transportation needs with Parking Structure 6, part of $200 million in new facilities and other improvements recently completed or under way to meet the needs of “Tidal Wave 2,” a large projected increase in student population over the next 10 years.
“The California State University system is encountering ‘Tidal Wave 2,’ an influx of new students that reflects the state’s increasing population. These projects play a vital role in SDSU’s plan to serve the needs of these students and of the faculty and staff that will support them,” said Tony Fulton, director of facilities planning and management for SDSU. “The body of work we’re experiencing is probably the most significant set of additions since the campus core was built in 1931.”
– Increased Parking Constant Concern
Parking Structure 6, a $15 million, multilevel structure with 2,458 spaces, will be operational at the start of the fall semester. The opening of Parking Structure 6 increases the university’s total parking inventory to 14,260 spaces, 2,295 more than last year.
“Staying ahead of our parking needs is a constant priority,” Fulton said. “The opening of this structure more than compensates for parking displaced by other construction projects.”
Cuicacalli Suites, SDSU’s latest residential and dining hall complex, is also expected to bring more students to within walking distance of campus, lessening traffic around the campus area. This $32 million, 242,000-square-foot student complex will be ready for its first complement of 686 students this month.
Cuicacalli’s amenities include two towers of suite-style accommodations that offer increased privacy for students, a dining commons, 24-hour coffee shop, convenience store, laundry and study facilities, and recreational areas including a sun deck, pool and sand volleyball court.
Across 55th Street and southwest of Cox Arena construction on Fraternity Row is also under way. Many leaders in college-related development consider this $14 million project, which will create a four-story, 62-unit apartment complex ringed by eight chapter houses, to be an innovative model for Greek housing that could be adopted at other universities around the country.
The project, developed by the San Diego State University Foundation, is scheduled to open for the fall 2002 semester and is among the first elements in the College Community Redevelopment Project, which will eventually improve 131 acres to the south, east and west of the campus.
To help keep people informed of the progress of construction on campus, SDSU has established an information campaign called “Education on Track.” Up-to-date information can be found on the Web: at www.sdsutrolley.com or by calling the Trolley Construction Talkline at (619) 594-TALK (8255). More information on the project and the trolley system overall is available from MTDB at www.sdcommute.com.
Foster is a media relations specialist in the SDSU Department of Marketing & Communications.
