This OBcean Actually Rides the Bus
By South OB Girl
San Diego City officials who tout “transit-oriented development” for Ocean Beach may have never actually taken the bus in our community. I have, and what I’ve seen is both instructive and alarming.
OB streets are not wide enough for buses to operate safely. Cable Street, the main thoroughfare for MTS Bus #35 and MTS Bus #923, which are the current buses in OB, is one lane on both sides, with cars parked up and down the whole length of it. Buses routinely drive close to or over the double yellow lines. When the bus makes a left turn down Cable from West Point Loma Blvd. or a right turn onto West Point Loma Blvd. from Cable, it takes up all the space of both roads, and it blocks the entire intersection of Cable and West Point Loma Blvd.
Most drivers in cars behind the bus try to pass because of the frequent stops along the route. Because there isn’t much room, passing cars cross over into the other lane when there is no oncoming traffic. Too often, the result is a collision.
On multiple occasions, I have witnessed a collision between an MTS bus and a car heading up or down Cable Street. When that happens, one or both vehicles lose side mirrors and wind up with a few dents. Cable Street traffic becomes jammed up at the collision site, and the bus gets thrown off schedule until another bus shows up to replace the “out of order” bus.
As bad as this situation is, it will get a lot worse with the addition of more buses, especially if they are the larger Rapid Transit buses, along with more OB residents with cars. A sensible alternative would be smaller MTS shuttle buses, like those on Route 18 in Mission Valley, which could successfully accommodate the projected number of passengers.
And why more cars? Because we cannot count on San Diegans to NOT have cars. Introducing more public transit options and housing near public transit is not a guarantee that San Diegans will ditch their cars and ride the bus.
We are fortunate that OB is a walkable community. OBceans often walk to shops, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and local businesses. Some utilize local amenities so extensively that they rarely ever leave the community, a phenomenon known as the “OB Bubble.”
When we do leave the “Bubble,” many of us take the MTS #35 bus to stores in the Midway and Sports Arena areas and to the Old Town Transit Center to travel farther. And many locals in OB and Point Loma take the #923 bus to commute downtown. This is a great option for people who work downtown and don’t want to fight rush-hour traffic and pay for parking. But the 923 doesn’t run on weekends or late at night.
These observations riding the buses in OB make me wonder: Do City officials talking about the future of public transit in OB know what riding the bus is actually like in OB?
Public transit can also be an enriching experience. When you ride the bus, you may be surrounded by people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some are newcomers to this country, and some are tourists or students from overseas who are studying abroad. I have heard many different languages on the bus, and I like the international feeling of it. I’ve seen people carry surfboards onto the bus and the bus drivers don’t seem to mind this. Those passengers exited at Newport Ave. and headed to the beach. Some people do work on the bus and some study en route to school.
Major metropolitan areas, like New York City and Washington D.C., benefit from well-established underground transit systems. That does not seem a likely next step for public transportation in San Diego. But we can’t rule out the development of new transportation technology. If you believe in public transportation, as I do, futuristic options may provide hope for improved public transit here in San Diego.
To focus on bus stops and bus routes for large scale real estate development is not taking into account the possibilities of future modes of transportation technology nor the preferences that OBceans have to utilize other forms of transportation including bicycles, golf carts, cars, scooters, skate boards, motorcycles, Uber, and Lyft (and possibly Waymo).
There are ten parallel north-south arterials from Abbot to Catalina all of which prioritize personal vehicle auto travel and parking over all other uses but the “solution” given by the author here is to downsize public transit vehicles to provide more space to personal autos. Excellent.
That’s not what I read. She’s saying the buses are too large for the street and MTS could substitute some shuttles instead.
The buses are too large for the streets due to all the personal autos parked and driving on them.
I can’t speak to the 35 bus but I’ve often taken the 923 to downtown and back when on jury duty. It’s efficient for riders on Monday-Friday (25 minutes or so). I’ve seldom seen the bus even close to half full. It’s frustrating, however, that the 923 ceases service at 6:30 pm on weekdays so is useless for attending an event or eating at a downtown restaurant, and is useless for OBceans on weekends because there’s no weekend schedule.
On weekends, 923 used to go only to the airport & back, requiring transfer to continue downtown. I’m guessing weekend elimination is because so few people found it useful for getting to the airport, and no one wanted to transfer to continue downtown.
The 35 is useless to me because I’d have to take the 923 (or drive and park – we know how tricky that would be) down into OB (weekdays only), transfer to the 35, then transfer again at Old Town.
MTS would do well to change to the smaller shuttle buses to accommodate the smaller number of riders.
You are correct about the hours of the 923 not facilitating the possibility of riding the bus to go downtown in the evenings and weekends, for restaurants, shows, and night life. The 923 and the 35 used to have the same starting point in OB and then the start of the route for the 35 got moved to Newport. I have definitely seen the 35 full leaving Old Town, with no available seats and people standing. A lot of people get out on the way into OB, and by the time it’s heading into OB it has far fewer passengers. Around Nimitz and West Point Loma Blvd. there are fewer passengers.
Yeah, thanks Steph.
Thank you, Steph.
The regular size buses are a challenge already for our OB streets. Something else to keep in mind is that a Rapid Transit bus probably wouldn’t make it into or out of OB much faster than the regular bus or a car, because of all the stop signs and stop lights.
Two of the bus accidents happened 2 days in a row after the city shortened red curbs at Cable/Niagara per my request. (the curbs were originally painted much longer to provide visibility for a two way stop.)
The 4-way stop meant cars could park closer to the corner. You’d think the city would’ve checked the bus routes when reevaluating the red curb lengths.
Sounds like there was some bumper cars going on there with the bus. That corner is also a turn around spot for the 35, so it appears from your research here that this intersection became a problem with the changing of the red paint on the curb. The 35 ends its route at Cable and Newport Ave. The bus driver usually takes a short break at that time, with the bus parked at the bus stop at Cable and Newport. Then, to start the route the bus driver has to turn the bus around. I am not certain if all bus drivers use the exact same spot to turn around, but one option is to turn around at Cable/Niagara. A noble wish that the City of San Diego would have its communities, streets, and transit fully evaluated for new signage, new curbs, and new policies. All we can do is keep on hoping and wishing!
Yes, the shuttles would make more sense. The big buses are never even 1/4 occupied.
As someone else commented, it would be nice to know data about our buses and passengers, and what the buses look like and how full/empty they are. The 35 can fill up to capacity, with people standing, when it leaves Old Town. Seems less full as it enters OB, as people get off the bus between Old Town and OB. I have never seen the 923 full but maybe it does fill up sometimes and I have just never seen it.
I was born and raised in Point Loma and Ocean Beach and have been riding San Diego’s transit system since the 1960s, sometimes several times a day. By choice, I have never owned a car. I regularly ride as far east as San Diego State and as far north as La Jolla. I am 75 years old, so I’ve seen it all. I remember the good times and the bad. Transit-wise, the current era is pretty good, in my opinion, and much improved over certain times in the past. The fares for regular riders with Pronto cards are exceptionally reasonable! Are there things I would change? Yes, but I’m not complaining. For example, while it is true that Cable Street is a bit too narrow to comfortably accommodate two buses passing each other in opposite directions, the bus drivers deal with it. They simply pull over to the right and wait for the oncoming bus to pass. That’s life in the big city! I’ve never seen a bus accident on Cable, but have witnessed dozens of car crashes (and worse) on Sunset Cliffs Blvd., within a block of where I live. The only bus accidents I’ve experienced as a passenger were on Midway Drive, when a new car rear-ended a bus, and another when a bus turning from Voltaire onto Chatsworth took out a traffic signal. Now, service on #35 bus route is especially good. (Every 15 minutes much of the time!) I wish the #923 ran later and on weekends. This is where shuttle buses would be appropriate. In my opinion, one of the biggest issues is the cumbersome, awkward, and time-consuming process of wheelchair accessibility. The buses need to be completely redesigned to better accommodate them. I’d also like to see the traffic signals at major intersections (for example, at Sunset Cliffs and West Point Loma, and Rosecrans and Midway) be designed to prioritize buses. The fare collection system, though ingenious in many ways, is riddled with glitches. The author of the article is correct that public transit is a wonderful way to meet people from all over the world, or to make new friends among regular riders. Personally, I would not want to be a bus driver these days because of the threat of violence or contracting the flu or other communicable diseases from passengers. From what I’ve heard, many drivers died during the Covid epidemic. Back then, I walked everywhere and avoided the enclosed spaces of public transit vehicles. When I did this, I was in the best shape of my life!
I take the 10 to old town and catch the 35 to OB all the time. I have no issues with it. I guess how good or bad public transit in SD is a matter of perspective. I does leave much to be desired but some of the complaints I see are downright comical.
Comical complaints are a plenty, that’s for sure! The 10 to the 35. That’s a smart route to take, cutting out some of the 8 I’m guessing?
Mr. Lugo: Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us! Thank you for sharing your experiences, observations, and your suggestions for improvement in public transportation based on your extensive experience. This brings to mind the question: What opportunities have been created for passengers to share their experiences with MTS and City officials? Certainly gathering feedback from individuals such as you would be very beneficial. When you wrote “they deal with it” about the bus drivers, that really stood out for me. Because they deal with A LOT. TONS, every day. And as you reflected, yes – many bus drivers died during the early days of 2020 and the height of the pandemic. I am without words reflecting on the millions of deaths during the pandemic. You have better luck than me if the 35 arrives every 15 minutes on your watch! Or are you referring to the end of the route (at Old Town or Cable/Newport)? But the bus driver usually has about a 10-15 minute break at the end of the route so that’s the extra 10-15 minutes on the 30 minute loop. In which case, yes indeed, the 35 does arrive just about every 15 minutes. The route for the 35 got sped up when the start of the 35 changed to Newport/Cable from by the Cliffs. Public transportation is a big topic currently, so keep an eye out for more news in the months to come.
Agree with most. The 35 runs every 1/2 hour & you need to give your self 5 minutes on either side of the schedule because it is the most inconsistent to the schedule. It should run every 20 minutes in the summer and I have suggested that to MTS. I didn’t know the 923 didn’t run on weekends… It should. And everyone, use the OneBusAway App. It is fairly accurate & helpful.
Thank you, Frank J. Yes, the 923 does not run on weekends or past 6:42 pm Monday through Friday (departure from first stop in OB at 6:42 pm, with a departure from downtown into OB at 6:41 pm). Here is the schedule for the 923: https://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/routes/pdf/923.pdf. It happens to have the schedule for the 35 also printed on it. So this is a handy link. I agree that the OneBusAway App is helpful. Because waiting on the bus to arrive definitely happens. It will tell you how many minutes your bus is running late for its next stop. If you have a chance, could you inform us how you made your suggestion to MTS about the bus schedule? Online? At a meeting? Talking with a bus driver? Just curious.
I’ve been able to speak to a few managers driving small white MTS cars plus the following:
MTS Transit Store
1255 Imperial Avenue
Ste 100A
San Diego, CA 92101
619-234-1060
Information and Trip Planning
619-233-3004
PRONTO Support
619-595-5636
MTS Security (Call or Text)
619-595-4960
Customer Feedback
619-557-4555
NCTD Customer Service
205 South Tremont Street
Oceanside, CA
760-966-6500
This is fantastic information Frank J! Thank you!!
The state law also requires these Rapid buses to have a dedicated lane to meet the criteria for a major transit stop.
Our city leaders are playing fast and loose with these rules, to justify shoving in as much density without parking as possible, often where transit doesn’t exist at all.
Also MTS ridership is down. I guess their strategy to increase bus usage is to make driving and parking as miserable as possible.
What a miserable future you describe, kh. Thank you for painting a picture of that future so vividly for us. Forced onto buses. Forced to give up use of cars and other vehicles because of lack of parking. How terrible. It should be an option. Several of the comments here express an intentional, personal choice to utilize public transit. A choice to ride public transportation, and a choice not solely based on financial and/or eco-conscious reasons.
Thank you for explaining state law requirements for Rapid Transit. I wouldn’t trust the City one bit currently not to either make such a “dedicated lane” wherever it wants or to declare Cable Street a “dedicated lane” by some loophole or new policy for dedicated lanes. We can count on your diligent, keen eye to watch out for the best interests of OB as changes and policies continue to unfold.
Yes, ideally it should become the preferred mode of transportation for many by offering more routes and frequency. Not by sabotaging car commuters.
Last I checked commuting by mass transit would take almost 4 hours out of my day. No thanks. I live in OB and work near Miramar Rd which is a major job center.
Miramar Road, Aero Drive, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Miramar — these are indeed major job centers as you mentioned. That 4 hour commute is just not feasible for most people.
Some excellent wording there, kh: “Our city leaders are playing fast and loose
with these rules.” Sounds like a great title for an opinion piece! More and more wheeling and dealing, playing fast and loose in this city than government leaders should be entertaining or allowing.
A few years ago the routes and frequency of buses was cut supposedly because ridership was down. This was a few years before Complete Communities was designed which seems to be based on public transportation. If we are to use public transportation as first choice method, it’s a little late in the game to be changing tactics.
There is a shortage of data and data analysis re transit and San Diego housing (previous article: https://obrag.org/2025/11/seeking-reliable-data-on-the-housing-crisis-from-the-city-of-san-diego/),. It would be nice to see data driven policy making and data driven public transportation schedules and infrastructure.
South OB Girl, you have it exactly right. My years of experience in dealing with City, MTS and Sandag officials is that the bus is for you and me but not for them. The arrogance of these people is nothing short of astounding. I vividly remember the head of Sandag arriving at meetings in his lifted 4X4 Ford monster truck to preach the sermon of the need for the rest of us to ride transit.
Walk the walk, people, not just talk the talk.
P.S. my spellchecker keeps trying to convert Sandag to Sandbag. It’s smarter than I give it credit for.
Paul, your comment is a bull’s eye. Someday I will speak during non-agenda public comment to ask councilmembers and city staff: “Show of hands: How many of you took public transit to get here? How many of you rode bikes?”
Thank you, Kate, for your review and editing of the first draft.
Wow, that provides quite the contrasting image. Bet there were some other jumbo SUVs in the parking lot too. San Diegans in general have a pretty negative perception of public transportation that will be very difficult to change. With that perception also being the view of many of those making the decisions about public transportation. A view that it is for those people who need it because they can’t afford a car, which may or may not be the case. Even the best of new plans and policies will have trouble changing this negative perception.
I have always wanted OB to be more connected. I think the idea of the smaller metro sized buses is a GREAT one! Solves the problem with street size. Rarely do you see either bus route too full to be accommodated by the smaller busses. The minimal hours have prevented me from using them more often.
There could be a role for the smaller shuttle bus in OB. I do see the 35 full to capacity leaving Old Town. The 35 does empty out about half (this varies of course) by the time it reaches Nimitz.
Smaller buses can be helpful in certain contexts but hold less people per bus and therefore require more buses to transport the same number of passengers.
Comsidering the fact that there is a nationwide shortage of bus drivers (city bused and school buses, among others), I am not sure proposing smaller buses will ultimately work out unless you can solve the driver shortage issue.
Take the 923 downtown to work every day with a few other regulars from Muir, great reliable ride!
Very cool!! I’m guessing you pick it up on Voltaire…