DOT 98-07
Monday, September 17, 2007
Contact: Brian Turmail
Tel.: 202-366-4570

San Diego to Receive $18 Million in Federal Funding to Improve Bus Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today announced that San Diego will receive $18 million in federal funding to provide buses with cutting-edge brake and lane departure technologies to allow buses to run closer together along Interstate 805 (I-805).

“This is another example of how investing in technology helps to make our lives better,” Secretary Peters said. “Even small changes can help cut commutes and make travel times more predictable.”

The funds will support the installation of new brake technology known as longitudinal control that detects when buses in front begin to slow down and automatically begin braking the following bus. Similarly, the lane departure technology will warn drivers if they are too close to the other lanes. San Diego is one of the first communities in the Nation to demonstrate how new technologies can significantly increase the amount of vehicles that can travel on existing roadways, Peters said.

The grant also will be used to turn the left-hand shoulders of I-805 into traffic free lanes for bus use, Secretary Peters explained. As a result, buses will be able to travel at near highway speeds and will give commuters a reliable travel option during peak travel times.

These funds were awarded to San Diego through dedicated federal funding designed to address the most congested areas in our nation. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) money and Federal Transit Administration funding will be used to purchase the technology and to support the operation of the system, Peters explained.

"We are proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation on this $18 million project,” said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. “Bringing lane positioning technology and the 'buses on shoulders' project to this long stretch of I-805 is going to do a lot to reduce congestion. The grant is another important step toward giving commuters transportation choices along the I-805 corridor, one of the most congested highways in our region."

If the program proves to be successful the region hopes to one day expand the use of the shoulder lanes to commercial traffic. Vehicles, other than buses, will be charged a fee and will be required to possess all brake and lane departure technologies present on city buses, according to San Diego officials.