The San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors (SANDAG) has unanimously approved the final environmental impact report (FEIS) for extending the San Diego Trolley from Old Town to La Jolla and University City.
SANDAG gave its blessing on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014, clearing the way for the latest growth in San Diego's light rail transit (LRT) system, which debuted in 1981 as the the first modern U.S. LRT operation.
Extension plans include nine new stations, including two directly on the UC San Diego campus. The Federal Transit Administration gave its approval to the FEIS last month.
Approval of the $1.7 billion extension, formally identified as the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, clears the way for initial construction work, mostly utility relocation.
"This is the last step in a very long process," San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, a SANDAG board member, told local media. "We have gone through countless forests of paper to get to this point. ... It's now time to complete the project and get on to construction. I want to see this project get done."