The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will launch its first all-electric Rapid bus route on Sunday, with new buses traveling from the Otay Mesa Port of Entry to Imperial Beach.
The Rapid 227 route will offer service every 15 minutes or better most of the day. It will take 16 minutes to travel from the border to the Iris Avenue trolley station, and another 24 minutes to get to Imperial Beach.
Rides on the Rapid 227 route will be free from Oct. 15 through Oct. 31.
“With the expansion of pedestrian lanes at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in early 2024, cross-border commuters have a new, quick and convenient option for access to coastal destinations, regional employment and activity centers in South County, downtown and central San Diego,” the transit agency said.
Stephen Whitburn, chair of MTS and a San Diego City Council, called the new route “a sustainable and greener method of transit” for binational commuters.
The articulated buses from New Flyer offer comfortable rides, large windows, high-back seats and fast service. They are quieter than gas-powered buses, and produce zero tailpipe emissions.
The electric bus fleet will be charged by an $8.5 million overhead gantry charging system capable of charging 24 vehicles at a time.
MTS is the first transit agency to build this type of charging infrastructure in North America.
Updated at 3:50 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13, 2023
