Breeze Rapid
Encyclopedia
Breeze Rapid is a bus rapid transit
service operated by the North County Transit District
in Escondido
, California
, in North County, San Diego.
Service operates from the Escondido Transit Center
to the north and the Westfield North County
mall and Del Lago Transit Center to the south, primarily along Escondido Boulevard and Bear Valley Parkway. Breeze Rapid replaces previous local Line 350 service, although the route remains branded as Line 350. The route officially launched on June 7, 2011, with dedicated buses and branded stops.
in June 2005, in cooperation with the City of Escondido and NCTD. The purpose of the project was to identify improvements to a rapid bus connection between the Sprinter at Escondido Transit Center, downtown and south Escondido, the North County Fair mall, and the future I-15 BRT to operate on the Interstate 15
Express Lanes. The previous service was prone to bus bunching, heavy boardings near schools on the south end of the route, and traffic congestion in key locations during the morning and evening commute periods.
The project corridor is identified in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for improved local and rapid bus services.
technology. Buses used on this route have been rebranded, but are the standard North American Bus Industries
C40LF's common in the rest of the fleet. Improvements for pedestrian safety, and street system modifications to improve local traffic flow were also made.
The goal of the project is to provide an example for both operators and patrons of what can be accomplished through enhanced transit amenities, service branding, operational improvements, and transit priority measures. The cost for the route was $4,300,000 and the route was projected to have 2,500 riders at opening. Riders are estimated to save up to 20%, or six minutes, as a result of the improvements.
Future rapid bus services operated by NCTD will also use the Breeze Rapid name. Such conversions are proposed for Line 101 between University Town Centre and Oceanside, and for Line 303 between Oceanside and Vista, pending availability of funding.
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
service operated by the North County Transit District
North County Transit District
The North County Transit District is the agency responsible for public transportation in North San Diego County, California, United States...
in Escondido
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in North County, San Diego.
Service operates from the Escondido Transit Center
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 Rapid bus rapid transit line...
to the north and the Westfield North County
Westfield North County
Westfield North County, formerly North County Fair, is a shopping mall in Escondido, California, owned by The Westfield Group. Its anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, Nordstrom and Sears. A two-part Robinsons-May closed in 2006...
mall and Del Lago Transit Center to the south, primarily along Escondido Boulevard and Bear Valley Parkway. Breeze Rapid replaces previous local Line 350 service, although the route remains branded as Line 350. The route officially launched on June 7, 2011, with dedicated buses and branded stops.
History
The project was initiated by the San Diego Association of GovernmentsSan Diego Association of Governments
The San Diego Association of Governments 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 a County Supervisors, and also has capital planning and fare setting powers...
in June 2005, in cooperation with the City of Escondido and NCTD. The purpose of the project was to identify improvements to a rapid bus connection between the Sprinter at Escondido Transit Center, downtown and south Escondido, the North County Fair mall, and the future I-15 BRT to operate on the Interstate 15
Interstate 15 in California
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 15 is a major north–south route through the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and it has a length of in the state. It is a major thoroughfare for traffic between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as points beyond...
Express Lanes. The previous service was prone to bus bunching, heavy boardings near schools on the south end of the route, and traffic congestion in key locations during the morning and evening commute periods.
The project corridor is identified in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for improved local and rapid bus services.
Service enhancements
The route includes bus stop improvements, queue jump lanes at congested intersections, and transit signal priority. Bus stops were consolidated from the existing 31 stops to 25 stops, and received physical enhancements such as new benches and shelters and route information posted at stops. Eight stops include digital message signs that indicate next bus arrival, provided using NextBusNextBus
NextBus is a vehicle tracking system which uses global positioning satellite information to predict when the next bus will arrive at any given bus stop, thereby eliminating wait times and any need for schedules for all transit riders...
technology. Buses used on this route have been rebranded, but are the standard North American Bus Industries
North American Bus Industries
North American Bus Industries, commonly known as NABI, is a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Anniston, Alabama. NABI was founded in 1992 when the Hungarian firm Ikarus Bus, a key bus supplier to Central, Eastern Europe, spun off a majority share of their American operations to...
C40LF's common in the rest of the fleet. Improvements for pedestrian safety, and street system modifications to improve local traffic flow were also made.
The goal of the project is to provide an example for both operators and patrons of what can be accomplished through enhanced transit amenities, service branding, operational improvements, and transit priority measures. The cost for the route was $4,300,000 and the route was projected to have 2,500 riders at opening. Riders are estimated to save up to 20%, or six minutes, as a result of the improvements.
Future rapid bus services operated by NCTD will also use the Breeze Rapid name. Such conversions are proposed for Line 101 between University Town Centre and Oceanside, and for Line 303 between Oceanside and Vista, pending availability of funding.