Having realized long ago there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution to solving traffic problems in Coronado, during their meeting of Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, the Coronado City Council discussed options for increased bus and summer shuttle service in the city. Renewed interest in employing buses to shuttle residents and visitors alike through the city is due in large part to the increased ridership in the three years the Free Summer Shuttle has operated in Coronado.

Inaugurated in 2013, the Free Summer Shuttle is an expansion of Bus Route 904 managed by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), a route that normally runs hourly from the Coronado Ferry Landing to Coronado City Hall. The first year 55,397 passengers took advantage of the Free Summer Shuttle, a number which grew to 78,612 riders in 2014 and expanded again to 2015 to include 116,499 riders. In 2015 the Free Summer Shuttle operated from June 7 to September 13 and ran at 20-minute intervals, as opposed to the 30-minute intervals for the shuttle the previous summer.

However, moving that many people comes at a cost and the fee paid by the city to MTS for 2015 totaled $95,200. Certainly when compared to the hourly ridership of MTS Route 904 in 2012, which served only 9,142 riders, the Free Summer Shuttle would certainly appear to be a success.

The city staff’s estimate was that the shuttle removed approximately 350 car trips each day the program was in service.

After receiving the staff report, the council debated options ranging from making the 904 bus service free year around, expanding the route to include the Coronado Cays and increasing the frequency which the buses run. The over-arching goal is simply to get as many people out of cars and into some form of mass transportation, as is economically feasible.

Eventually a motion was made by Councilmember Carrie Downey to expand the Free Summer Shuttle in 2016 to run from May 27 to September 25, with the bus to run every 15 minutes. The program is subject to a final council vote in the future, once the details have been worked out by city staff. The motion passed 4-1 with Councilmember Richard Bailey voting against the motion.

On a related topic, Mayor Casey Tanaka asked Councilmember Mike Woiwode, who also serves as the city council’s representative to MTS and Downey, the council’s representative to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to form an ad hoc subcommittee to improve, with city staff support, ridership from the Silver Strand to the Village. That would include the Coronado Cays, Navy housing, and Loews Coronado Bay Resort. Suggestions generated by the subcommittee would be brought to the full council for additional action.

In other council actions:

• Three residents were appointed to city positions including Patrick Callahan to a second term on the Bicycle Advisory Committee; Alexander Fitzpatrick was nominated to fill a vacancy on the Bicycle Advisory Committee; and Al Ovrom was reappointed to the Board of Directors of Coronado Hospital Foundation and as a member of the Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Board, representing the city.

• On the consent agenda, the council approved funding for the city’s wayfinding signage program in the amount of $210,320. In addition, the Unified Port of San Diego will fund the lesser amount of either up to $200,000 or half of the total cost of the signage program. Bailey voted against that portion of the consent agenda.

• Also as part of the consent agenda, the council approved the expenditure of $685,554 for project costs related to the purchase and installation of 548 new single space parking meters in the city.

• As part of a public hearing, the council voted 3-2 to allow variances in the city’s R-3 zoning code for a construction project at 900 G Avenue. It was determined that the trapezoidal shape of the lot, which is bordered by Ninth Street, G Avenue and Olive Avenue, was sufficient to permit the three requested variances. Tanaka, Bailey and Downey voted to allow the variances, with Woiwode and Councilmember Bill Sandke voting against the motion.

The next meeting of the Coronado City Council will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015 at 4 p.m. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers in Coronado City Hall, located at 1825 Strand Way in the city.