Alex W
@trolleysevery5min.bsky.social
Data Researcher for RideSD. Frequent Commenter at MTS and SANDAG Meetings.
Reposted by Alex W
NCTD's CEO defends hydrogen trains and claims that catenary:
- has same fuel cost issues as H2 (fact check: green H2 uses 3x more energy; NCTD's H2 prices went up 160% recently)
- is unsafe in fire zones (H2 is more explosive than fossil gas)
- has visual impacts
👖🔥
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y74_...
- has same fuel cost issues as H2 (fact check: green H2 uses 3x more energy; NCTD's H2 prices went up 160% recently)
- is unsafe in fire zones (H2 is more explosive than fossil gas)
- has visual impacts
👖🔥
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y74_...
Why NCTD went hydrogen - Clip of 9/18/2025 board meeting
YouTube video by Californians for Electric Rail
www.youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:18 AM
NCTD's CEO defends hydrogen trains and claims that catenary:
- has same fuel cost issues as H2 (fact check: green H2 uses 3x more energy; NCTD's H2 prices went up 160% recently)
- is unsafe in fire zones (H2 is more explosive than fossil gas)
- has visual impacts
👖🔥
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y74_...
- has same fuel cost issues as H2 (fact check: green H2 uses 3x more energy; NCTD's H2 prices went up 160% recently)
- is unsafe in fire zones (H2 is more explosive than fossil gas)
- has visual impacts
👖🔥
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y74_...
New Article I wrote for @streetsblogca.bsky.social!
Building the Airport Transit Connection as an APM will enable five minute Trolley frequencies!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/11/20/w...
Building the Airport Transit Connection as an APM will enable five minute Trolley frequencies!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/11/20/w...
Want Vancouver Skytrain in San Diego? Support People Mover to the Airport. - Streetsblog California
Vancouver is not alone in running people movers on urban rail networks. Copenhagen built its entire 26.9-mile metro using the same technology used on a Saudi Arabian university’s APM.
cal.streetsblog.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:07 PM
New Article I wrote for @streetsblogca.bsky.social!
Building the Airport Transit Connection as an APM will enable five minute Trolley frequencies!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/11/20/w...
Building the Airport Transit Connection as an APM will enable five minute Trolley frequencies!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/11/20/w...
MTS is broke. Before you say, "who cares? Transit shouldn't be profitable anyways", let me explain why this is a serious problem.
www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
MTS board delays decision on budget strategy as 'fiscal cliff' nears
A majority of board members balked at the suggestion of an increase to fares, which have been mostly the same since 2009.
www.kpbs.org
September 14, 2025 at 1:29 AM
MTS is broke. Before you say, "who cares? Transit shouldn't be profitable anyways", let me explain why this is a serious problem.
www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
This Friday SANDAG's Transportation Committee will discuss Airport Transit Connection Concepts, including an Automated People Mover (APM). The APM is the best concept. But what is an APM? pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Airport Transit Connection Project Update - Transportation Committee - September 05, 2025
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:39 AM
This Friday SANDAG's Transportation Committee will discuss Airport Transit Connection Concepts, including an Automated People Mover (APM). The APM is the best concept. But what is an APM? pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
SANDAG to present Airport Transit Connection (ATC) at this Friday's Transportation Committee!
There's two major airport rail concepts: the Trolley and the people mover. The people mover is better!
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
There's two major airport rail concepts: the Trolley and the people mover. The people mover is better!
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Airport Transit Connection Project Update - Transportation Committee - September 05, 2025
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:23 AM
SANDAG to present Airport Transit Connection (ATC) at this Friday's Transportation Committee!
There's two major airport rail concepts: the Trolley and the people mover. The people mover is better!
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
There's two major airport rail concepts: the Trolley and the people mover. The people mover is better!
pub-sandag.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...
Reposted by Alex W
San Diego MTS is at >93% ridership recovery and has a $30-$40 million projected annual deficit. Half of that deficit could be erased by setting the price of just one major operational expense, the electricity powering our light rail ("The Trolley"), back to 2019 levels. bsky.app/profile/alex...
- MTS has ~$30-40 million/year structural deficit from inflation + fed cuts
- MTS paid $9 million in for traction power (Trolley wires) in 2017
- MTS is paying $24 million for power this fiscal year
- Charging MTS $0 for power would lower SDGE *profits* (not revenue) only 2%.
SDGE are parasites.
- MTS paid $9 million in for traction power (Trolley wires) in 2017
- MTS is paying $24 million for power this fiscal year
- Charging MTS $0 for power would lower SDGE *profits* (not revenue) only 2%.
SDGE are parasites.
Yet another reason it's unfathomable that CA will not lower SDGE, SCE, PGE, SoCalGas massive profits. Unfathomable. insideclimatenews.org/news/1904202...
August 23, 2025 at 10:25 PM
San Diego MTS is at >93% ridership recovery and has a $30-$40 million projected annual deficit. Half of that deficit could be erased by setting the price of just one major operational expense, the electricity powering our light rail ("The Trolley"), back to 2019 levels. bsky.app/profile/alex...
I wrote this in May, but still relevant. If we improve Measure G it would easily win in 2026!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/05/06/o...
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/05/06/o...
OpEd: San Diego Should Put Transit Funding Measure Back on 2026 Ballot - Streetsblog California
Bad timing and a conservative electorate sunk Measure G in 2024, but there's many reasons to believe a sales tax measure for transit would pass in 2026 in San Diego County.
cal.streetsblog.org
August 23, 2025 at 2:43 AM
I wrote this in May, but still relevant. If we improve Measure G it would easily win in 2026!
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/05/06/o...
cal.streetsblog.org/2025/05/06/o...
Let there be Trolleys every 5 minutes on the Blue Line!
San Diego Needs Higher Train Frequencies, Not Another Express Light Rail or Bus voiceofsandiego.org/2025/08/19/s...
San Diego Needs Higher Train Frequencies, Not Another Express Light Rail or Bus voiceofsandiego.org/2025/08/19/s...
San Diego Needs Higher Train Frequencies, Not Another Express Light Rail or Bus
Alex Wong is Data Researcher for RideSD, a nonprofit organization working to improve public transportation in San Diego. The San Diego Association of Governments is studying concepts to speed up […]
voiceofsandiego.org
August 20, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Let there be Trolleys every 5 minutes on the Blue Line!
San Diego Needs Higher Train Frequencies, Not Another Express Light Rail or Bus voiceofsandiego.org/2025/08/19/s...
San Diego Needs Higher Train Frequencies, Not Another Express Light Rail or Bus voiceofsandiego.org/2025/08/19/s...
