SAN DIEGO—The recent 805-freeway carpool interchange has increased the flow of traffic through that historic bottleneck, but more will need to be done in the future to reduce congestion on San Diego's much-travelled freeways, JLL EVP Misty Moore tells GlobeSt.com. The San Diego Trolley's Mid-Coast extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line from Old Town to UTC recently broke ground to officially begin the latest expansion of the county's light-rail system. According to the firm, when this expansion is complete, the UTC office market will surpass Mission Valley as San Diego's second most transit-oriented office submarket.

Downtown has the largest office inventory in the county, and nearly all of Downtown's 12.2 million square feet of office space is within ¼ mile of a trolley stop, JLL reports. While 25.4% of Mission Valley's office space is within ¼ mile, 34.2% of the office inventory in UTC/Eastgate will be within ¼ mile of a trolley station.

We spoke with Moore about the Trolley extension's impact on various San Diego office submarkets and how the region's transportation/traffic-reducing measures are really impacting congestion.

GlobeSt.com: How do you feel the trolley extension will impact San Diego's office submarkets?

Moore: The connectivity from Downtown to UTC will significantly increase mobility between the submarkets. We have seen tremendous growth Downtown of late, with companies and employees seeking a live/work environment and the elimination of long commutes. The multifamily market is booming in Downtown, and new tech and media companies catering to Millennial employees are springing up everywhere. By connecting UTC with Downtown via public transportation, we will see this activity and energy naturally make its way north. That, coupled with the expansion and renovation of the UTC mall, will make this suburban submarket a more attractive and exciting area for urban dwellers than it has been in the past.

GlobeSt.com: How are the region's transportation/traffic-reducing measures really impacting congestion on its major freeways?

Moore: With the steady population growth and the time it takes to implement traffic-reducing measures, it seems like we are always playing catch up. The recent 805 carpool interchange has increased the flow of traffic through that historic bottleneck, but more will need to be done in the future. The moment a project is compete, we are behind schedule for implementing the next one.

GlobeSt.com: Is the region doing enough to address congestion for commuters and travelers who must drive the freeways? If not, what else should be done?

Moore: This is California, and people are tied to their cars. Our infrastructure needs to be significantly more built-out before people are willing to leave their cars at home. For professionals commuting to work, you have very limited options without a car. For example, I have heard a few anecdotes about people taking the trolley back and forth from Downtown to Carlsbad, but once you arrive, you need to find another solution to get around during the day without a car. It's just not practical for most people. We would need the trolley to run many more routes to allow a person to leave from a stop reasonably near their home and arrive at a stop reasonably near their office without having to also use a ride-sharing service or other stopgap.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the trolley extension?

Moore: The trolley extension has very exciting benefits for UCSD students and faculty as well. It will directly connect UCSD's La Jolla campus with their exciting new Downtown campus at Park and Market in the East Village, scheduled to open in 2021. Aptly named the UC San Diego Blue Line, this quick trolley trip to Downtown will help decrease traffic on the freeway for this specific population and increase mobility for those folks who may not otherwise leave the comfort of the La Jolla campus as often.

We spoke with Moore about the Trolley extension's impact on various San Diego office submarkets and how the region's transportation/traffic-reducing measures are really impacting congestion.

GlobeSt.com: How do you feel the trolley extension will impact San Diego's office submarkets?

GlobeSt.com: How are the region's transportation/traffic-reducing measures really impacting congestion on its major freeways?

GlobeSt.com: Is the region doing enough to address congestion for commuters and travelers who must drive the freeways? If not, what else should be done?

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about the trolley extension?

Instant Insights /

Trolley Extension is Good, But What About the Freeways?

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