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.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System‘s Orange Line Trolley returned to full service Friday for the first time since the Jan. 22 storms caused major flooding in San Diego.

“We appreciate the patience of our riders as we continue to recover from last month’s historic floods that caused extensive damage to the rail system and limited our ability to provide the quality service our Orange Line Trolley riders are accustomed to,” said Sharon Cooney, MTS’s chief executive officer..

“When the damage first happened, we predicted it would take months to get the retaining wall fixed and service back to normal. But our employees and contractors have come through in a big way for our riders. I am pleased to say that today, all 62 stations on our trolley system will be back in operation again.”

Since Jan. 22, MTS has not served two stations along the 19-station Orange Line, which averages 24,000 passenger trips each weekday, 12,800 passenger trips on Saturdays and 11,500 Sundays.

The January storm did extensive damage to a retaining wall at the 65th Street and Imperial Avenue grade crossing. As a result, passengers have had to get off the trolley at either Euclid Avenue Transit Center or Lemon Grove Depot and take a shuttle serving the two affected stations between them.

On Friday, MTS conducted successful test runs with trolleys on the repaired segment and determined that it was safe to resume service.

Service on the Orange Line operates from 5 a.m. to midnight. It serves communities in downtown, Southeast San Diego, Lemon Grove, La Mesa and El Cajon.

The transit agency estimates it will cost nearly $24 million to repair damage done to various parts of the transit system by the flood last month.

City News Service contributed to this report.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will be increasing the number of officers patrolling its trolley lines and buses in response to rider requests for a boosted security presence, it was announced Wednesday.

Following a passenger survey that revealed requests for security improvements, the MTS Board signed off last year on a $4.2 million increase to its security budget, the agency said.

MTS’s 2024 transit security initiative will include a 60% increase in the number of security officers throughout the MTS system.

MTS said the number of security officer “train” teams will be increased from five to six teams per shift to eight to 10 teams per shift. Additionally, MTS will double the number of officers patrolling buses, double the number of plain-clothes officers, and increase the number of officers conducting homeless outreach for coverage seven days per week.

The agency said it has also consolidated its 24/7 security hotline to one number in a bid to improve security response times. Riders may call or text (619) 595-4960 to report incidents.

“We want to show MTS riders our appreciation by letting them know we are listening to their recommendations to improve their riding experience on our system,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board chair and a San Diego city councilman. “Riders want to feel safe and seeing an increased security presence during their trip does just that.”

Metropolitan Transit System said Friday it will be offering free rides on all its bus and trolley routes starting at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

Free trolley rides will be on the Green, UC San Diego Blue and Orange lines.

For designated drivers, MTS is also offering free parking at its trolley and rapid station lots. When parking, people are asked to ensure to park only in painted spaces in the paved parking lot. Also, drivers are being informed not to exceed parking for more than 24 hours. Those staying beyond that time are subject to being ticketed, the MTS said.

The Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said New Year’s Eve is the biggest night nationwide for driving under the influence, with people’s chances of being arrested for a DUI 129% higher than average.

For more information about MTS’ free bus and trolley routes on New Year’s Eve visit www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/new-years-eve.

–City News Service

One person was taken to a hospital after an MTS bus jumped a curb and crashed into several parked cars in the Sherman Heights neighborhood on Monday night, police said.

The San Diego Police Department responded to calls about the collision at 21st and Market St. around 5:18 p.m.

The driver, who said that he thought the bus was parked, was trying to get the mobility aid ramp down when the bus started rolling away and crashed into a tree, SDPD Officer John Buttle said. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with a possible open fracture to the right shin, police said.

The eastbound and westbound lanes of Market Street were closed due to the crash.

Numerous San Diego County and city government offices — including animal shelters, libraries and vaccination centers — will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

On Thursday, all city of San Diego administrative offices and other services will be closed. Some city facilities will also be closed on Friday.

Trash collection will be pushed back a day, with Thursday’s usual collection moved to Friday and Friday’s to Saturday.

All city libraries will be closed, reopening at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Swimming pools and recreation centers will also open at regular hours on Saturday.

Chollas Lake, Mission Trails Regional Park, Tecolote Canyon Natural Park and city golf courses will be open, with Mission Bay Golf Course closing at dusk. City skate parks and the Pacific Highlands Ranch Pump Track at 5977 Village Center Loop Road will also remain open.

For the county, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will conduct regular patrols, and animal control emergency response will continue through the holiday period. Shelters will reopen Saturday; all other county offices will reopen for regular business hours on Monday.

Most parks and campgrounds will be available during normal business hours Thursday and Friday. However, the following facilities will be closed:

• Fallbrook Community Center, closed Thursday and Friday
• Lakeside Community Center, closed Thursday and Friday
• Spring Valley Community Center, closed Thursday and Friday
• Spring Valley gym, closed Wednesday through Friday
• 4S Ranch Sports Park recreation office, closed Thursday and Friday (the ranger office and park will remain open)

The county’s park reservation phone line won’t be operating Thursday and Friday, but reservations can be made online at www.sdparks.org.

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus and trolley services will operate primarily on a Sunday schedule on Thursday, and service will return to a regular weekday schedule on Friday.

No service will be provided on Rapid Express Routes 280 or 290, Sorrento Valley COASTER Connection and most Express bus routes.

City News Service contributed to this article.

The Metropolitan Transit System board on Thursday unanimously approved a transit-oriented housing development at the Spring Street Transit Center in La Mesa.

The Spring Street Transit-Oriented Development is part of MTS’ effort to re-purpose park-and-ride lots into affordable housing solutions across San Diego County.

The 2.2-acre development will feature 147 units (set aside for those who make from 30 to 60% of area median income). Construction is set to begin in February 2025 and take approximately two years.  

The development will be constructed in partnership with Affirmed Housing, a provider of affordable housing throughout the state of California.

“MTS is excited to once again partner with Affirmed Housing to bring more relief to the region’s affordable housing crisis,” said Stephen Whitburn, chair of the MTS board and a San Diego City Council member. “With the approval of the Spring Street development today, MTS will have nearly 3,000 residential units completed or in the planning process at our transit centers, and we aren’t slowing down.”

Other housing projects currently on MTS property which are completed or in the works are:

• Completed – Grossmont Transit Center (527 units), Morena/Linda Vista Station (185 units), 62^nd and Encanto Street (67 units) and Grantville Transit Center (250 units).
• Under Development – Grantville Transit Center (126 units), Rancho Bernardo Transit Center (100 estimated units), Palm Avenue (500 estimated units), El Cajon Transit Center (300 estimated units), E Street Transit Center (806 estimated units) and Beyer Boulevard Transit Center (100 estimated units).

A full inventory of properties available or under development can be found on the MTS Real Estate webpage.

San Diego County’s Tuberculosis Program and the Metropolitan Transit System are working to notify some area travelers that they were potentially exposed to a tuberculosis infection earlier this year.

The warning was issued to riders who used certain Trolley Blue and Green lines and bus riders and drivers who used Route 901.

It applies to the following:

• the Trolley Blue Line between Balboa Ave Transit Center and Old Town Transit Center, and the Green Line between Fashion Valley and Old Town, roughly between 6 a.m. to noon Monday to Sunday from Feb. 16 to Aug. 15
• bus route 901 from Iris Avenue Transit Center to Palm Ave., and Eighth Street 10-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m. from April 22 to July 15

“Trolley exposures did not occur on a specific schedule,” a county statement read. “As such, large numbers of people may have had exposures, but the likelihood that any particular rider had long cumulative exposure times is low.”

Brief interactions with an ill rider are less likely to lead to TB infection than are prolonged or repeated exposures.

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

While the MTS follows recommended sanitation practices of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB is airborne and not spread by touch, so cleaning practices do not impact the risk of tuberculosis in transit vehicles or stations, according to the county.

Other MTS riders with TB have been previously reported in August and September 2022, and in February 2023. The county Health and Human Services Agency does not have any evidence directly linking the rider or riders most recently diagnosed with TB to the other MTS riders. Additional lab tests will be conducted to determine if there might be linkages.

People with TB could be sick for many months before they are diagnosed, and as such, exposure periods can be long.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted person-to-person through inhalation of bacteria. The chance of infection is higher for people with prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB.

Individuals who want more information on this potential exposure can call the County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.

According to county data, 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 cases in 2020 and 201 people reported with active disease in 2021. In 2022, 208 people were reported with active TB disease in San Diego County.

City News Service contributed to this article.

Riders on Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit District buses and trains soon will be able to use a tap-to-pay feature following a vote Thursday.

The board approved one-tap credit card use – as opposed to using a pre-loaded PRONTO card, app or paying at a kiosk at a transit station – which will allow riders to use their credit cards or smart device-enabled credit cards on PRONTO validators at MTS or NTCD transit stations.

Additionally, the MTS Board of Directors voted to add 34 more code compliance inspector positions to help patrol the system, increasing the total number of inspectors from 56 to 90.

The agency also has 200 private security officers deployed through its contracted private security firm, Inter-Con.

“The security and comfort of our riders, and employees is MTS’ main priority,” said board Chair and San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn. “A stronger presence of security on the system and a more efficient payment system for riders on the go is something we’ve heard (about) from the community, and today’s action put words into action.”

According to the agency, the option to pay for transit fare directly with a physical card or smart device was considered after numerous workshops with stakeholders from transit agencies, fare vendors and payment processors.

The hiring of additional security personnel will allow for increased coverage for trolley and bus enforcement teams, as well as the ability to have a daily presence on the passenger safety and homeless outreach teams. The annual cost for the boost in security staffing is approximately $4.2 million.

– City News Service

Authorities took a suspect into custody Friday at a Linda Vista trolley station, the morning after he allegedly attacked two people.

The arrest followed two attacks Thursday evening, according to OnScene.TV – a stabbing and attempted carjacking at another trolley stop, on Balboa Avenue.

The target of the carjacking fought back with a baseball bat, San Diego police told OnScene. The suspect then fled on foot.

Late Friday morning, security for the Metropolitan Transit System spotted the suspect, a man whose face was heavily blooded.

The suspect, OnScene reported, was armed with a kitchen knife and started to advance on the authorities when they used a Taser on him, causing him to fall to the ground.

He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for treatment.