The North County Transit District (typically abbreviated as NCTD) is the agency responsible for

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

in Northern San Diego County, California. The agency manages the COASTER commuter rail service between Oceanside and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, the SPRINTER light rail service between Escondido and Oceanside, the BREEZE transit bus service, LIFT paratransit service, and FLEX on-demand and point-deviation service. NCTD owns of mainline railroad track (the Surf Line) from the Orange County/

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...

line to the San Diego Santa Fe Depot (used by COASTER, Metrolink, and ''

Pacific Surfliner The ''Pacific Surfliner'' is a passenger train service serving the communities on the coast of Southern California between San Diego and San Luis Obispo. The service carried 2,924,117 passengers during fiscal year 2016, a 3.4% increase from F ...

'' passenger trains along with

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

freight trains) along with the Escondido Branch (used by the SPRINTER and

BNSF BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

freight trains). NCTD also works closely with the

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (''SDMTS'' or often simply ''MTS'') is a public transit service provider for Central, South, Northeast and Southeast San Diego County. The agency directly operates a large transit system that includes ...

(MTS) which operates public transit services in Southern San Diego County, and the

San Diego Association of Governments The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Count ...

(SANDAG) which plans, develops, and constructs transit projects for both the NCTD and MTS. NCTD’s rail services are directly operated by the agency, while bus services are operated under contract by MV Transportation. As of , NCTD provides passenger trips per year, or about per weekday as of . NCTD's geographic area is approximately with an approximate population of 842,000 people.

History

The North San Diego County Transit Development Board (NSDCTDB) was established in 1976 by California Senate Bill No. 802 to plan, construct, and operate public transit in North San Diego County. The Board quickly acquired the municipal transit systems operated by the cities of Escondido and Oceanside. The Board also designed a regional transit system consisting of local and regional corridor routes to serve the transportation needs of North San Diego County. In 1982, planning began for the Coast Express Rail (COASTER) commuter rail service. On June 2, 1994, the Board created a non-profit corporation called the San Diego Northern Railway (SDNR) to maintain, enhance, and operate the COASTER. SDNR purchased the tracks to be used by the COASTER from the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

in 1994; SDNR was later dissolved in 2002. On February 27, 1995, COASTER service commenced. On January 1, 2003, Senate Bill 1703 was enacted, transferring responsibility for future transit planning, programming, development, and construction to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), San Diego's regional planning agency. In 2005, the State Legislature changed NSDCTDB's name to the North County Transit District (NCTD). In March 2008, after many years of planning, the SPRINTER hybrid rail line began service. FLEX on-demand service began in 2011. In fiscal year 2009, NCTD projected annual operating deficits of more than $24 million by 2014. In response, NCTD made proactive changes to maintain transit services and related jobs, including reducing staff and renegotiating and restructuring various contracts. These changes closed a five-year, $80 million budget gap. The new business model also allowed NCTD to lower fares, increase service and ridership, and grow its financial reserves. NCTD relies on public funding. In 1987, voters approved the Proposition A ''TransNet'' Ordinance, which provided funding for future transit projects and improvements to the existing system. In November 2004, voters approved a 40-year extension of the ''TransNet'' sales tax, which will allow NCTD to continue to operate service for many years. In August 2018, NCTD announced that they were seeking public opinions and input on a re-brand of the agency. This included two new paint scheme ideas for COASTER, along with the existing scheme being used as a third option. The new COASTER livery was eventually chosen at the end of that year, and is currently being implemented on the legacy COASTER fleet, with the new locomotives and passenger cars set to arrive in the new livery as well. In addition to the COASTER livery re-branding, a new cross-platform NCTD website was launched in early 2019 as the agency reorganized itself to be more accessible with its services.

Services

NCTD provides public transit in North San Diego County, from La Jolla and the Pacific Ocean, east to Escondido and Ramona, and from Oceanside and the Orange County border south through Del Mar to UCSD and La Jolla and University Town Center, with connections extending to downtown San Diego. NCTD offers the following services: * BREEZE – Fixed-route bus services. * COASTER – Commuter rail service from Oceanside to downtown

. * SPRINTER – Hybrid rail service from Escondido to Oceanside. * LIFT –

Paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...

service for those with disabilities who are unable to use the accessible fixed-route system. * FLEX – On-demand service in Carlsbad and

Ramona ''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...

BREEZE Bus Service

The BREEZE Bus Service serves as the main form of public road transportation for residents of North San Diego County. BREEZE service began in 1976 when NCTD acquired the municipal bus systems serving Escondido and Oceanside. The annual ridership of BREEZE buses is 7.9 million people, with an average weekday ridership of 25,800 people. More than 2,600 bus stops and 9 transit centers service the BREEZE buses. As of October 2021, the fleet comprises 161 vehicles, including 143 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. The

California Energy Commission The California Energy Commission, formally the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, is the primary energy policy and planning agency for California. Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission'core respon ...

awarded NCTD $4 million to build a hydrogen fueling station at BREEZE's main facility in Oceanside on May 19, 2021. Construction of the fueling station is expected to be completed in mid-2022. NCTD is also expected to order eight hydrogen-fueled

electric bus An electric bus is a bus that is propelled using electric motors as opposed to an internal combustion engine. Electric buses can store the needed electricity on-board, or be fed continuously from an external source. The majority of buses ...

es and six battery-powered electric buses in the next 2 years. In November 2009, NCTD approved

outsourcing Outsourcing is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity which otherwise is or could be carried out internally, i.e. in-house, and sometimes involves transferring employees and ...

all bus and rail operations effective July 1, 2010, to

First Transit First Transit is an American transportation company. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, First Transit operates over 300 locations, carrying more than 350 million passengers annually throughout the United States in 39 states, Puerto Rico, Panam ...

. The agency anticipated saving $70 million over seven years with the move. Fleet and facility operators remained NCTD employees until their contracts expired June 30, 2011. As of January 2013, NCTD offers 30 BREEZE bus routes plus 4 FLEX zones.

SPRINTER Hybrid Rail

The SPRINTER is a

hybrid rail Light rail in the United States is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and ...

line that runs east and west between Escondido and Oceanside. A total of 455 trains run every week. The SPRINTER's first day of service was March 9, 2008. The annual ridership was 2.5 million people in 2015, with an average weekday ridership of 8,300 people. Fifteen stations are served by the Sprinter route. SPRINTER equipment includes 12

Siemens Desiro The Siemens Desiro (, , ) is a family of diesel or electric multiple unit passenger trains developed by Siemens Mobility, a division of the German Siemens AG conglomerate. The main variants are the Desiro Classic, Desiro ML, Desiro UK and the la ...

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

passenger trains. NCTD also owns a maintenance facility and rail yard for their Sprinter service in Escondido, between

Escondido Transit Center Escondido Transit Center is a bus and train station located in Downtown Escondido, California. It serves as the current eastern terminus of the North County Transit District's SPRINTER light rail line and the northern terminus of the BREEZE Ra ...

and

Nordahl Road station Nordahl Road station is a station served by North County Transit District's SPRINTER hybrid rail line. It straddles the city limits of San Marcos and Escondido, California Escondido is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. ...

COASTER Commuter Rail

The COASTER is a commuter rail service that runs north and south between Oceanside and Santa Fe Depot in

Downtown San Diego Downtown San Diego is the city center of San Diego, California, the eighth largest city in the United States. In 2010, the Centre City area had a population of more than 28,000. Downtown San Diego serves as the cultural and financial center and ...

. A total of 126 trains run every week, with expanded service offered in the spring and summer and additional trains scheduled for special events as needed. The COASTER's first day of service was February 27, 1995. The annual ridership is 1.7 million people, with an average weekday ridership of 5,700 people in 2015. The COASTER route serves 8 stations on its route, including the termini at Oceanside and Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego. Currently, COASTER equipment consists of 7 locomotives and 28 bi-level coaches. The North County Transit District owns and maintains two rail yards for their COASTER commuter rail service. The first yard is the main maintenance and servicing facility located north of Oceanside at Stuart Mesa on

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

, and it is shared with Metrolink and the Pacific Sun Railroad. The second yard is shared with the

San Diego Trolley The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. It is known colloquially as "The Trolley". The Trolley's operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Tra ...

at 12th & Imperial in Centre City San Diego; this rail yard stores trainsets during mid-days until they're ready to be used again for northbound services. File:NCTD Coaster Phase-II SantaFe.jpg File:SC-44 At Oceanside-NCTD.jpg, Left: An NCTD Coaster Bombardier BiLevel

cab car A control car, cab car (North America), control trailer, or driving trailer (UK and Ireland) is a non-powered rail vehicle from which a train can be operated. As dedicated vehicles or regular passenger cars, they have one or two driver compartm ...

at San Diego's Santa Fe Depot. Right: Coaster Siemens SC-44 Charger diesel-electric locomotive in

Oceanside Transit Center Oceanside Transit Center is a major railway interchange in Oceanside, California, serving both intercity and suburban/commuter services. The station is used by Amtrak on the route of its ''Pacific Surfliner'' service between San Diego and San Lu ...

LIFT Paratransit Service

LIFT vehicles provide origin-to-destination service for people with disabilities who are unable to use BREEZE buses due to their disability and have been certified for eligibility, as required by the

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Disability in the United States, Americans with disabilities ...

. Service is available for trips within ¾ mile of fixed bus routes. The LIFT's first day of service was January 1, 1993. The American Logistics Company operates the LIFT.

FLEX On-Demand Service

FLEX is an on-demand service in parts of southwest Carlsbad and

, where BREEZE service is not available. FLEX vehicles take passengers anywhere within the FLEX zone or to the nearest transfer point on the BREEZE, COASTER, or SPRINTER. The American Logistics Company operates the FLEX service.

Organization, policies, and initiatives

A board of directors governs NCTD. The board includes members from Carlsbad, Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, Solana Beach, San Marcos, Vista, and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Green initiatives

NCTD has implemented cutting-edge green initiatives and sustainability programs that minimize the environmental impact of public transit. NCTD recently installed solar panels, saving the agency $1 million in energy costs over five years. NCTD has increased recycling and improved lighting and is using biodegradable cleaning supplies. In addition, NCTD has received grant funding to install electric smart car chargers in transit center parking lots.

Pronto Fare System / Former Compass System

All NCTD and related

(MTS) services utilize the new Pronto contactless fare system introduced in September 2021 by INIT Systems and

SANDAG The San Diego Association of Governments (abbreviated SANDAG) is an association of local San Diego County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the County, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and Cou ...

; the Pronto system succeeded the first-generation Compass Card system." As a replacement for the original "Compass Card," the Pronto fare system allows for a tap-on, tap-off approach through the use of station validators in order to deduct the correct fare; additional measures may need to be taken depending on the service. General Pronto cards can be physically purchased at Pronto ticket vending machines within NCTD facilities, or in NCTD customer service centers; electronic versions can be purchased through the website or through the mobile applications. Both NCTD and MTS services previously utilized the aforementioned contactless "Compass Card", made possible by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. The "Compass Card" allowed passengers from MTS and NCTD to store regional transit passes and cash value on a rewritable

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromag ...

card. Customers would have purchased passes and added cash value on the Internet or at any ticket vending machine. Prior to using a provided service, customers tapped their Compass Cards on the ticket validator located at the transit center or station. The LED display on the validator would then light up with lights resembling that of a stoplight, and the LCD display showed text regarding the passenger's fare account. The new Pronto system now used expanded upon many of the design concepts previously employed with the Compass Card system.

In popular culture

In 2011, an artist surreptitiously installed a mosaic on the wall of a COASTER bridge near the Encinitas station that came to be known as " Surfing Madonna". In early 2012, the Encinitas City Council voted to accept the mosaic under a long-term loan agreement and to support a proposal to put the mosaic on publicly owned land near Moonlight Beach. The Encinitas City Council stipulated that acceptance of the mosaic is contingent upon the artist, Mark Patterson, signing an agreement that he will pay for the mosaic's removal if it becomes the subject of a religious-imagery lawsuit.

References

Transit agency faces $3 million budget gap
(Union Tribune, May 10, 2008)

External links

https://gonctd.com/ - NCTD Websitehttps://gonctd.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/NCTDSystemMap.pdf – NCTD System Maphttps://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/attachments/rtm_sep2019_web_.pdf – Southern Area System Map
{{Authority control Public transportation in San Diego County, California Bus transportation in California Passenger rail transportation in California Intermodal transportation authorities in California Oceanside, California 1975 establishments in California