| Parent | North County Transit District |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 7, 2011 |
| Locale | Escondido, California |
| Routes | 1 |
| Stops | 25 (1 at Escondido Transit Center and 12 stops in each direction)[1] |
| Hubs | Escondido Transit Center Del Lago Transit Station |
| Fleet | 7 NABI C40LF low floor buses[2] |
| Daily ridership | 2500 average weekday riders |
| Fuel type | CNG |
| Operator | North County Transit District |
| Web site | www.gonctd.com/breeze |
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.[3]
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The project was initiated by the San Diego Association of Governments 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.[4]
The project corridor is identified in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for improved local and rapid bus services.[5]
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 NextBus technology.[6] 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. [7] [8] The cost for the route was $4,300,000 and the route was projected to have 2,500 riders at opening.[9] Riders are estimated to save up to 20%, or six minutes, as a result of the improvements.[10]
Future rapid bus services operated by NCTD will also use the Breeze Rapid name.[11] 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.[12]
The route is approximately six miles long and at build out, service will take approximately 20 minutes from end to end, a 20% reduction in time from previous service. Current headways are 15 minutes during weekdays and 30 minutes during nights and weekends, but the proposed build out headway is 10 minutes during weekdays and 15 minutes on weekends.[13]