SANDAG Plan to Bring More Busses to Broadway Threatens Historic Hotel and Restaurant

A Bus Station In Front Of The Sofia Hotel Would Be Bad For Business
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2012 Contact: Public Policy Strategies, 619.549.0137

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO: The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is proposing a series of new bus stops along Broadway in Downtown San Diego that would hurt businesses, threaten local jobs and significantly increase traffic. SANDAGs Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal would bring: 49 double-length busses an hour to a 16-block stretch of Broadway between Park and Kettner at peak periods (M-F between 7-10AM and 2-5:30PM). All told, BRT busses would make about 500 stops a day on Broadway. These are new stops that would be in addition to existing MTS stops. A total of 10 bus stations (six for MTS busses and four for BRT busses) over the 16-block area along Broadway. SANDAGs plan to increase the number of bus stops and stations and to narrow Broadway by widening the sidewalk eight feet to accommodate the new BRT stations would create significantly more traffic along Downtowns main artery. At peak times, the buses would stop at a new station directly in front of The Sofia Hotel nearly every minute. Among other things, this would reduce traffic on Broadway to one lane, eliminate curbside access to the hotel and Currant Restaurant and wipe out outdoor dining at the Currant.

We are not angry. We are terrified. This would damage our business, said Judi Winslow, whose family co-owns The Sofia Hotel and Currant Restaurant located at 150 West Broadway between First and Front streets, the most pedestrian-friendly block on Broadway. Downtown is our neighborhood and this plan threatens our quality of life. The hotel and restaurant owners have proposed a viable alternative to SANDAG officials: Move the BRT station planned for the front of The Sofia to the front of the old court house a block to the west, which currently houses an MTS bus stop. The courthouse is scheduled to move a block north during the first quarter of 2016. SANDAG has expressed little interest in alternatives.

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The proposal does not include a dedicated bus lane or a trial run to test the traffic impact, and it contradicts the Downtown Community Plan, which includes BRT busses just not on Broadway. The Little Italy BID and Little Italy Residents Association each voted recently to oppose SANDAGs BRT plan. "I call on SANDAG to join me and our coalition of local business leaders to find a better solution. I believe we have an opportunity to deploy this new bus system in a way that benefits businesses as well as San Diego commuters," said San Diego City Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who opposes the proposed station in front of The Sofia. A proposed bus station in front of The Sofia would eliminate all of the taxi stalls, the metered parking spots, one of the hotels two customer drop off points and create a stop expected to be as poorly maintained as others throughout Downtown San Diego. The proposed stations will have a direct impact on restaurateurs and our local economy, including increased traffic and congestion, loss of wages and reduction of sales tax revenue, said Mike Morton Jr., President of the California Restaurant Association, San Diego Chapter. It is critical that SANDAG develop a practical solution that will not harm restaurants and small businesses during an already sluggish economy. The families who own the hotel and restaurant have invested millions in improvements, and took a big investment risk Downtown when many others would not. The 211-room historic hotel serves about 99,000 guests a year (the restaurant services about 60,000) and has contributed more than a half million in sales tax and $4 million in Transient Occupancy Tax during the last five years to the City of San Diego. The families employ more than 100 people and do business with more than 60 local vendors. They own the former Greyhound bus station next door and have grave concerns about what SANDAGs proposal would do to potential tenants interested in leasing the space. The owners were not contacted during the planning and development phase. They received a completed plan from SANDAG, which has not designed a system that best serves Downtown, nor has it fully considered the people and businesses their plan would negatively impact, said Joe Terzi, president and CEO of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. This is a 3 -star hotel. We want to keep it that way. On April 20, SANDAGs Transportation Committee is scheduled to receive an update on the BRT plan, and SANDAGs Board or Transportation Committee is expected to consider adopting the plan in May. We support public transportation, Winslow said, noting that the hotel and restaurant provide bus passes to employees at a discounted rate. But SANDAG has not approached this thoughtfully or considered the negative economic and community impacts. Their plan is bad for business.

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