The county’s Tuberculosis Program was working with the Metropolitan Transit System Tuesday to notify riders of the trolley’s Blue Line that they were potentially exposed to and are at risk for tuberculosis.

The exposure happened between Jan. 27 and Feb. 29 of this year, and the specific impacted routes are:

• The Blue Line between 24th Street Transit Center and Barrio Logan Transit Center, on Monday to Friday, on an inconsistent schedule but typically between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the above time frame
• The Blue line between San Ysidro Transit Center and Old Town Transit Center roughly between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., and from Old Town to San Ysidro between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16

Since exposures occurred at inconsistent hours, the likelihood that any rider had long cumulative exposure times is low, according to the county. These exposures are not known to be associated with any previously reported exposures on the MTS system.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. People with frequent and prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB should get tested.

“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer, said in a statement.

“Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection. Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later if their latent TB infection is not treated. Blood tests and skin tests are effective in determining whether someone has been infected.”

Taking medicines for latent TB infection can cure the infection and keep people from ever getting active TB disease.

According to the county, the chance of TB infection is highest for people with many hours of cumulative indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB. Brief interactions with an ill rider are less likely to lead to TB infection than are prolonged or repeated exposures.

The County TB Control Program recorded 193 TB cases in the county in 2020, 201 people in 2021 and 208 people in 2022. In 2023, the county recorded 243 people with active TB disease.

An estimated 175,000 people in San Diego County have a latent TB infection and are at risk for developing active TB without preventive treatment, health officials said. People who test positive for TB, but who do not have symptoms of active TB, should get a chest X-ray and talk to a medical provider, as they may likely have a latent TB infection.

Anyone who would like more information on this potential exposure should call the county TB Control Program at 619-692-5565.

City News Service contributed to this article.

Riders on Metropolitan Transit System trolleys may have been exposed to tuberculosis on the Orange and Blue lines, the county Health and Human Services Agency announced Thursday.

The HHSA and MTS officials are working to notify riders who used the trolley between June 31, 2022 to December 31, 2022 that they were potentially exposed and are at risk for infection.

Those who rode the Orange and Blue lines on the below schedule may have been exposed:

• Trolley Blue Line from San Ysidro to 12th & Imperial Transit Center Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
• Trolley Orange Line from 12th & Imperial to El Cajon Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7 a.m.
• Trolley Orange Line from El Cajon to 12th & Imperial Monday through Friday roughly between 5:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
• Trolley Blue Line from 12th & Imperial to San Ysidro Transit Center Monday through Friday roughly between 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.

People with active tuberculosis are often unaware they have the disease and may be contagious for several months before being diagnosed. TB is transmitted from person to person through indoor air during prolonged contact with an infectious person. Most people who are exposed to TB do not become infected.

“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, county deputy public health officer.

“Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection,” she said. “Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later, if their latent TB infection is not treated. Blood tests and skin tests are effective to determine whether someone has been infected.”

According to the county, once the HHSA is made aware, typically through a test result reported by a medical provider, communicable disease investigators conduct extensive interviews with the patient to determine the length of time they were infected and the locations of potential exposure.

Two other MTS riders with TB were reported in August and September 2022. At this time the HHSA does not have any evidence directly linking the rider most recently diagnosed with TB to the other MTS riders.

People who are infected, and people at high risk of becoming ill quickly after an infection, such as those who are immunocompromised, should discuss treatments with a medical provider, as antibiotics can prevent people with TB infection from becoming sick.

More information on the potential exposure can contact the county TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.

The number of people diagnosed with active TB in San Diego County has decreased since the early 1990s and has stabilized in recent years. There were 192 in 2020 and 201 people reported with active disease in 2021. Preliminary data shows 208 people were reported to have active TB disease in 2022. An estimated 175,000 people in San Diego County have latent TB infections and are at risk for developing active TB without preventive treatment, health officials said.

City News Service contributed to this article.

The Blue Line extension to San Diego’s trolley system has been heralded for its new reach, stretching from the border to La Jolla.

The San Diego Tourism Authority, however, would like you to look at it another way – as the “Taco Trolley.”

This $2.2 billion expansion, tourism officials argue, won’t just be a boon for commuters and students, but also opens up opportunities for tourists and day trippers seeking activities, from sightseeing to shopping to, yes, taco tasting.

Here’s their recommended itinerary, from north to south:

• UTC Trolley station – Shop at Westfield UTC after stopping by Tocaya Modern Mexican, a casual eatery known for its healthy fare and vegan options.
• Clairemont Drive Trolley station – eight stops away, take a short walk to Mike’s Red Tacos, a food truck in Bay Park. The truck, which has birria tacos, is only open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. But get there early, because they do sell out.
• Old Town Trolley station – explore Old Town for its traditional delights – buildings and museums from the 19th century, along with more than 30 neighboring restaurants. Or try the new Old Town Urban Market, an outdoor dining and entertainment complex six blocks from the station, home to Tuetano Taqueria, which specializes in Tijuana-style birria tacos.
• Washington Street stop – Walk up the hill to the Lucha Libre Taco Shop, where the décor is inspired by Mexican wrestling, and the dishes too, like the “undefeated seafood taco.” Also available to reserve – “Champ’s Booth,” a gold vinyl booth with its own special menu.
• County Center/Little Italy station – Walk to King and Queen Cantina, an art-filled eatery. The eclectic menu features specialty tacos, including a Cheetos asada taco, which comes with yes, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
• Santa Fe Depot – Transfer here to the Green Line to head to the Seaport Village station. From there, try Puesto at the Headquarters for Mexico City-inspired tacos.
• Gaslamp Quarter station – Stay on the Green Line to reach The Blind Burro, near Petco Park, which specializes in Baja coastal cuisine like coffee-rubbed salmon and cilantro-lime grilled shrimp.
• 12th & Imperial station – Head here to jump back on the Blue Line for a trip to Barrio Logan. Past Chicano Park and its heralded murals, is ¡SALUD TACOS! on Logan Avenue, with street food and tattoo-inspired wall art.

Day passes for adults start at $6. See the Metropolitan Transit System for schedules and fare options.

San Diego neglected beach access when building the Blue Line trolley thirty years ago and it happened again with the new $2 billion extension of that line to University City.

There is currently much lamenting over the trolley’s minimal access to San Diego’s beach communities. As a local planning board member thirty years ago and as recently as five years ago, my pleas in rectifying this problem went unheard and ignored.

Common sense did not prevail in America’s Finest City, and in retrospect community leaders were overconfident and made the wrong decision. As English mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell explained, “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”

Four years ago, I ran for San Diego City Council to represent the beach areas and parts of Clairemont, and pitched the idea of a trolley to the beach. I frequently travel to my family home in Le Havre, France, where the beach is easily reached via a tram.

It’s a great idea for San Diego, but nobody cared, nobody listened, and I was shunned as a nobody or worse. But this French tram makes our trolley look obsolete.

Traffic is at a breaking point with intersections at the beaches among the busiest in San Diego County. And it’s getting worse. The sad thing is that this vehicular dysfunction could have been avoided by installing a trendy beach tram.

Americans are attracted to trends. It would have been a viable solution. But SANDAG said they could not afford it, the city said likewise and the planners followed their usual instincts. Now we are in the midst of a transportation catastrophe.

I’m an endurance athlete and walk everywhere in San Diego. Doing so adds insult to injury when I see all the bloated car traffic. But getting San Diegans’ out of their cars will entail a sea change in social thought.

We are not the French where public transportation is seen as acceptable to all classes of people. We are too proud in San Diego to sit next to a stranger on a public bus or trolley.

Our leaders ought to lead by example, but they don’t because it’s beneath them. The voters basically vote on the perception of a winning candidate.

This is why we have no trolley to the beaches, and it’s a symptom of bigger problems in our San Diego government and local electoral process.

Daniel Smiechowski is a Bay Ho resident, prolific writer on education issues, and former candidate for San Diego Unified School District Board of Education and San Diego City Council.

SANDAG and the Metropolitan Transit System hosted a preview Saturday of the Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley.

Attendees had the opportunity to ride a portion of the trolley extension before it opens in November.

The Mid-Coast on Morena Community Appreciation Festival celebrated the nearly completed construction of the Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive and Balboa Avenue stations. Festivities included family-friendly activities, local food vendors, live music, giveaways, remarks from dignitaries and trolley rides between stations.

The full $2.1 billion adds 11 miles to the trolley system, extending service from Old Town north to University City. The extension includes nine new stations, three of which are located along Morena Boulevard.

SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear was joined at the event by MTS Vice Chair and National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and Rep. Scott Peters, a long-time trolley supporter who was instrumental in obtaining federal funding for the project.

“SANDAG is incredibly proud to build this significant project and in just a few months, we will deliver it to MTS to operate,” Blakespear said. “This is a significant step toward achieving SANDAG’s vision for the 2021 Regional Plan to provide faster, fairer and cleaner transportation options that will serve the region for generations to come.”

TransNet, the half-cent sales tax administered by SANDAG, will fund approximately half of the project, with the remaining funding provided by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

“The progress of the Mid-Coast Extension has had my full support from the very beginning. What started as a simple idea to improve regional transit options is now a monumental project that will move commuters more efficiently and cleanly, easing traffic congestion and improving air quality,” Peters said.

Peters said securing more than $1 billion for the project “has been a priority for me in Congress.”

Major construction began in 2016, and the project remains on budget and on schedule.

To support the extra service, MTS has added 45 new trolleys built by Siemens Mobility and partially funded by TransNet.

MTS added 128 new positions including train operators, security, maintenance, IT and more to manage the extension.

“This trolley extension is going to open up brand new destinations for people in the South Bay and all over the San Diego region without ever having to get in a car,” Sotelo-Solis said. “It will provide incredible new connections … It’s truly a gateway to opportunity.”

City News Service contributed to this article.

Updated 9:30 p.m. Aug. 28, 2021

Sen. Alex Padilla joined San Diego governmental leaders Tuesday in taking the first ride on the southern end of the nearly complete Mid-Coast Trolley extension to University City.

Padilla was joined by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Tijuana Mayor Karla Ruiz MacFarland, and SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear.

The short trip took the group from the new Tecolote Road station past the Clairemont Drive station to the Balboa Avenue station, the last of the new stations in the Morena area before the trolley line crosses Interstate 5 on its way to University City.

“Excited to take a first ride on the Mid-Coast extension of the Blue Line trolley!” tweeted Gloria. “When this route is fully operational this fall, it will open up new connections to education, healthcare and job centers in the University City area for residents across our region.”

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is currently running test trains along the nearly completed $2.1 billion, 11-mile extension in preparation for its full opening in November.

“We’re glad to have our U.S. Senator with us today,” MTS tweeted. “This project would not have been possible without partnership from the federal government.”

To support the new service, MTS has purchased 45 new trolleys and added 128 new positions.

On Saturday, the public will be able to take the same tour as part of a special community celebration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets for the special trip can be reserved online.

SANDAG fully reopened Friars Road this week after completing a four-year project to improve the railroad and trolley bridges over the San Diego River in the Morena area.

The project entailed three new bridges over the river, one for the trolley extension to University City, and two for commuter and freight trains.

“SANDAG is thankful to the community for their patience while construction was in place on Friars Road for these critical projects,” said SANDAG Chair Catherine Blakespear, who is Mayor of Encinitas .

“The Mid-Coast Trolley and San Diego River Double Track projects will greatly improve the way people and goods move throughout the San Diego region, serving as great examples of how SANDAG aims to transform regional connectivity through the 2021 Regional Plan,” she added.

The two heavy-rail bridges cost $93.9 million. The trolley bridge is part of the $2.1 billion, 11-mile northern extension of the Blue Line trolley that will open late this year.

Both projects were funded through a combination of federal and local sources, including TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation improvement projects.

The last of 45 new trolley cars for the Blue Line extension to University City has arrived in San Diego as the $2.1 billion project by the Metropolitan Transit System nears completion.

“This is an exciting time at MTS. With the Mid-Coast Trolley fleet now complete, it signifies that we are nearing the end of construction for the Mid-Coast Trolley project — one of the largest infrastructure developments in San Diego’s history,” said Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who chairs the MTS board.

The 11-mile extension from Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego to UC San Diego and University Town Center is expected to open to transit riders in late 2021. There will be nine new stations along the route.

Hilary Norton, chair of the California Transportation Commission, said the project is an “important example” of how transportation grants “enhance mobility, create jobs, increase accessibility, and improve safety.”

The new S700 light rail vehicle built by Siemens Mobility in Sacramento was unveiled at a ceremony Friday that honored late MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski. During Jablonski’s 16-year tenure at MTS, he helped secure a full funding for the project.

A series of overnight closures will go into effect on northbound Interstate 5 beginning Sunday night for construction of the Mid-Coast Trolley line.

The closures are needed for construction crews to remove temporary support structures from the trolley viaduct south of Nobel Drive in the La Jolla Village area, according to the San Diego Association of Governments, which is overseeing the project.

Once the Mid-Coast Trolley project is complete, the viaduct will be one of two points where the extended UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley will travel over the freeway, SANDAG said.

The temporary support structure was installed in summer 2019 for crews to begin constructing the viaduct. Following the installations, crews conducted several concrete pours to form the approximately 670-foot structure that spans nearly 40 feet above I-5. Now that the viaduct is complete, the temporary support structure is ready to be removed.

To accommodate the removal, SANDAG said overnight closures of I-5 will be conducted as follows:

• Northbound closures from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, Sunday through Thursday
• Full closure from state Route 52 to La Jolla Village Drive
• Lane reductions may be in place on southbound I-5 from the I-805 merge to Gilman Drive

Detours are available via eastbound Route 52 and northbound I-805 to northbound I-5.

SANDAG said the Mid-Coast Trolley project will extend UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley service from downtown San Diego to the university community, serving major centers such as Mission Bay, the VA Medical Center, UC San Diego, and University Towne Centre.

Nine new stations will be constructed. Major construction work began in 2016, with service anticipated to begin in late 2021.

— City News Service

Northbound Interstate 5 will close in La Jolla on Monday night for the largest concrete pour of the $2.17 billion Blue Line trolley extension from Old Town to University City.

The concrete pour for the deck of a trolley overpass south of Nobel Drive will require closure of northbound I-5 from state Route 52 to La Jolla Village Drive from 11 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, and the partial closure of southbound I-5 from La Jolla Village Drive to Gilman Drive from 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

SANDAG said crews will pour 650 cubic yards of concrete 40 feet above the highway to form a 670-foot-long deck. It’s the final concrete pour over I-5.

The closures are part of the Mid-Coast Trolley project, which includes nine new stations over an 11-mile extension of trolley service by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.

The new stations will be at Tecolote Road, Clairemont Drive, Balboa Avenue, Nobel Drive, the VA Medical Center, Pepper Canyon serving the UC San Diego west campus, Voigt Drive serving the UC San Diego east campus, Executive Drive, and the final station at the Westfield UTC mall.

SANDAG is receiving $1.04 billion in funding from the Federal Transit Administration to complete the project. Trolleys are expected to begin running on the extension in 2021.