Transit advocates urge San Diego to revamp the Rapid 215 bus line, claiming its slow pace fails riders.
SAN DIEGO — Transit advocates say the Rapid 215, which runs between Downtown San Diego and San Diego State University, was supposed to get riders across the city in about 30 minutes when it launched more than a decade ago. Today, they say the trip can take nearly twice as long.
The route runs through some of San Diego’s most densely populated neighborhoods and serves about 1.4 million riders each year. But advocates say many of the features that would make the line truly “rapid” were never fully implemented.
That includes things like all-door boarding, off-board fare payment, and dedicated bus-only lanes along the entire route. Without those improvements, buses often move at the same speed as regular traffic, stopping at red lights and getting stuck in congestion, including through busy areas like Balboa Park.
Now, a coalition of local groups, including Bike San Diego, Ride SD, and San Diego 350, is pushing the city to make changes. Their proposal calls for more dedicated bus lanes, as well as quicker upgrades like painted bus-only lanes and traffic signal priority to help buses move more efficiently.
City officials say rapid bus service remains an important transportation option and that they are open to expanding bus lanes in coordination with MTS. They also point to recent transit-only lanes added along Park Boulevard through Balboa Park.
However, the city says current budget challenges mean the focus right now is on maintaining existing infrastructure, with future improvements dependent on available funding.
Advocates argue that improving transit isn’t just about speed, it’s also about affordability, noting the high cost of driving for many San Diegans.
For now, they say they’ll continue pushing for improvements, with the goal of making the Rapid 215 live up to its name.