SAN MARCOS — The City Council adopted a new policy on Tuesday prohibiting the replacement of vehicle travel lanes or medians with bus-only lanes in response to SANDAG’s plans for rapid transit that could run through the city.
The resolution was brought forward at the request of Mayor Rebecca Jones, who expressed concern about the possibility of a bus-only lane being implemented in San Marcos — specifically along San Marcos Boulevard — as part of SANDAG’s proposal for rapid transit between Carlsbad and Escondido, outlined in the agency’s 2025 Regional Plan initial concept.
For this route, as well as the proposed rapid transit connection between Carlsbad/San Marcos and Riverside County, the agency is considering the possibility of utilizing bus-only lanes to increase efficiency and convenience.
While the 2025 Regional Plan is months away from being finalized, and recent SANDAG discussions have also focused on the possibility of shared bus lanes, Jones said she felt compelled to bring forward a policy maintaining local control over bus-only lanes in the city.
“I felt it was important to move forward with this, given that we were ready to start taking action to bring it forward anyway,” Jones said. “I don’t really want anything outside of San Marcos deciding what we do in our city.”
Approved in a 4-1 vote, the adopted policy prohibits bus-only lanes from replacing a general purpose vehicle lane or substantially modifying or replacing a median; limits bus-only lanes to roadways where sufficient vehicle throughput can be maintained; and subjects any projects with proposed bus-only lanes to City Council approval.
District 1 Councilmember María Nuñez opposed the policy, saying it could limit the city’s options for supporting rapid bus transit.
“I am in favor of keeping our possibilities open,” Nuñez said. “I’m not sure, by adopting this today, it’s not clear to me what that does to this governing body.”
Various transit advocacy groups in San Diego also opposed the policy, calling it “misguided.”
The Bike Coalition of San Diego County, San Diego Families for Safe Streets, Circulate San Diego, San Diego 350 Climate Change Action, and Ride SD said in a Feb. 13 letter to the city that the policy could risk potential state funding for needed rapid transit projects like the Riverside County connector.
“For this project and others like it to succeed, the City of San Marcos must provide the most efficient service made possible by dedicated bus lanes,” the letter said. “A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line and dedicated bus lanes with frequent, reliable service will provide equitable transportation options for transit-dependent residents and choice riders, improving travel for remaining drivers.”
The letter noted that Jones expressed support for the Riverside County connector at the Feb. 9 meeting of the SANDAG board, where she stated that it would also benefit CSU San Marcos, Palomar Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente.
Jones and other council members said they are in favor of bus rapid transit, which Caltrans characterizes as a transit system that can provide “the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses” via infrastructure improvements such as exclusive right of way, limited stops, and prepaid fares to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
However, they said eliminating an existing general traffic lane for a bus-only lane on a busy road like San Marcos Boulevard, which ranges from four to six lanes, could be disastrous.
Many residents have already expressed concerns about traffic in the area, and the road cannot be widened to regain a vehicle lane in many areas due to the proximity of businesses to the roadway.
“I think giving up a lane as it sits right now, with the current configuration, would be a huge mistake, for our residents,” said Councilmember Sharon Jenkins.
While replacing medians with bus-only lanes would avoid the issue of eliminating a current vehicle lane, Jones said she is also opposed to this, as the city’s medians provide beauty to the city with their landscaping and trees.
She also pushed back against the letter from several regional organizations, stating that San Marcos should have control over its roadways.
“I don’t want us to become like San Diego, where many of these folks are from, where they don’t have any medians and it’s a lot of asphalt,” Jones said. “Local control is definitely the best way, in my opinion.”
However, residents have also shared concerns about the impacts of the policy. During public comment, resident Paul Mendoza said the city should not prematurely rule out any options for improved transit.
“Enhancing our roads with dedicated bus lanes on these key routes may significantly improve transit reliability, public safety, and attractiveness of alternative transportation methods,” Mendoza said.
City staff said under the policy, any proposal for a bus lane on a city-owned roadway must come before the council for approval. However, there is no guarantee that the policy will supersede future state or regional mandates regarding transit.
“This is a policy — it’s an uncodified expression of local policy and objectives. So, in terms of the strength of this versus a state or regional action that ties money to taking their conditions and requirements, I don’t really lay odds on the local policy,” said City Attorney Helen Holmes Peak.
The initial concept for the Regional Plan includes 60 proposed transit improvements and additions in North County, including San Marcos microtransit, increased express and HOV lanes on various freeways and highways, and multiple other rapid transit routes.
