Southeastern Connect
Southeastern Connect was a project designed to provide the neighborhoods of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Lincoln Park, Mountain view, and Mount Hope with with convenient low-cost public transportation while also increasing Southeastern San Diego's overall connectivity with the existing MTS light rail system.
Client Context
Southeastern San Diego was a notorious transit desert within San Diego's existing public transit network. The area was served by a single rail line and unreliable public bus routes. The effects were felt strongly, especially given the high density of low-income neighborhoods in the area.
In 2025, local San Diego organizations came together to supplement the existing transit landscape with a microtransit service that would provide residents with convenient, reliable, and low-cost public transportation.
Project Overview
The project's deliverables included a consumer mobile app paired with a 4-vehicle microtransit service serving Southeastern San Diego. All service vehicles were electric-powered, in line with client sustainability standards, and the fleet consisted of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles to ensure transit access for riders with disabilities.
Unique Factors / Challenges
Unique factors of the project were the multi-zone technical setup, vehicle operations, and client management.
The service operated as an addendum to an existing Via San Diego app that already contained operational service zones in other areas of San Diego. This setup required extra effort for the engineering and marketing aspects of the project. Regarding the tech, complex configurations had to be altered and precisely timed to avoid impacting live operations. Furthermore, database management of drivers and vehicles was uniquely complex due to the need to flex drivers and vehicles across zones while also being able to segment and manage them separately by zone. Marketing efforts were expanded as well to provide each zone with an effective marketing plan specific to the Southeastern region, but also cohesive with the rest of the Via San Diego umbrella.
Vehicle operations were unique, as the client requested a 100% electric vehicle fleet in lieu of hybrids. This necessitated custom support flows to accommodate EV charging and maintenance constraints.
Finally, the client management aspect of the project was more extensive than usual because the project was a collaborative effort between the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the Urban Collaborative Project (UCP), and the City of San Diego. This setup impacted all execution workstreams, as all aspects of the project needed to be aligned with the regulations and preferences of all stakeholders.
Achievements & Outcome
A white-label mobile application titled "Via San Diego"
A brand new microtransit service offering Southeastern San Diego residents a new way to travel within the area and to access light rail lines connecting to other parts of the city
Service of over 150 rides per day
