SANDAG workshops leave some with no new info

The planning agency held six public workshops featuring its controversial transportation plan. It was met with a mixed reaction in North County, although some new projects in play

This map shows North County’s transit improvements by 2050 as part of SANDAG’s 2021 regional transportation plan. Courtesy image

NORTH COUNTY — The San Diego Association of Governments has been on a PR tour through the county pumping up its $172 billion regional transportation plan.

The metropolitan planning agency recently visited San Marcos and Oceanside to present its controversial plan to North County residents. It’s part of a months-long campaign to further showcase the plan’s objectives and goals.

However, during the two North County stops, several residents said they didn’t believe they learned any new details regarding North County-specific projects. Others, though, said they support the agency’s push to reduce driving and greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, SANDAG staff held a brief presentation to kick off the 90-minute workshops and then ushered residents into groups to visit four stations. Those included a small-scale indoor scavenger hunt to identify specific projects, a stop on how SANDAG makes decisions, another asking what modes of transit people would like to see along the State Route 78 corridor and the last one with a list of all projects identified in the plan for residents to look and discuss.

Regardless, SANDAG’s Antoinette Meier, senior director of regional planning, said the workshop on Sept. 6 in San Marcos was a success.

She said even though the 2021 plan has been approved by the SANDAG board and state, the 2025 update could, and likely will, include new projects.

“We want to hear from people about what their transportation needs are,” Meier said. “There will be new projects in the plan, changes that get made based on the input from the public we get through these workshops.”