Next 10 in the News

The Gillespie Field trolley station is on the Green Line in the northwest corner of El Cajon near its namesake, the county-owned Gillespie Field Airport.

That’s part of its problem – aside from the airport, there is nothing around.

The average L.A. driver spends 90 hours a year stuck in traffic. Although the quality of the air has improved significantly over the years, the city still has, by some measures, the smoggiest in the country. And, of course, asthma and other ailments from dirty air harm residents, especially children – and particularly those in low-income communities.

Earlier this month, the California environmental group Next 10 released a study ranking the walkability of nearly 500 rail stations in the Golden State’s major cities. Not surprisingly, San Diego’s transit stations rated at or near the bottom.

Half a dozen news reports last week blared a similar headline: A new study showed San Diego’s trolley stops, or its trolley system in general, were the worst in the state.

That is not what the study actually found.

A recent report that grades rail transit systems in California also includes grading every BART station.

Transportation is not just about moving people from one place to another. It also influences the way those places develop, look and function. One reason many cities and states have pursued rail and other forms of rapid transit in recent years is to create more walkable, tight-knit and environmentally friendly communities. Additionally, making sure more people have access to more opportunity is a critical factor in mobility planning in U.S. metros.

In a recent report of the rail transit systems in California, San Francisco's MUNI rail system received the highest grades in the Bay Area, while Santa Clara's VTA system received the lowest score.