Transportation Committee

Meeting Minutes

Friday, July 18, 2025 at 9:00 A.m. - 11:00 A.m.

SANDAG Board Room

1011 Union Street, First Floor

San Diego, CA 92101

Voting Members Present:

• Chair David Zito (North County Coastal)
• Vice-Chair Sean Elo-Rivera (City of San Diego)
• Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe (County of San Diego)
• Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza (East County)
• Councilmember Cesar Fernandez (Metropolitan Transit System)
• Mayor Dane White (North County Inland)
• Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce (North County Transit District)
• Mayor John Duncan (South County)

Voting Members Absent:

• Commissioner Michael Zucchet (Port of San Diego)
• Mayor Esther Sanchez (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority)

Other Members Present:

• Danielle Weizman (Association of Planning Groups)
• Melina Pereira (Caltrans)
• Deputy Mayor Joy Lyndes (North County Coastal)
• Chairman Eric LaChappa (Southern California Tribal Chairman's Association)

Meeting Video

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1.

Call to Order

Chair Zito called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.

2.

Non-Agenda Public Comments/Member Comments

Public Comments: Purita Javier, Cesar Javier, Alex Wong. 

3.

Consent

Public Comments: Cesar Javier, Steve Linke. 

• Motioned by: Councilmember Elo-Rivera
  Seconded by: Supervisor Montgomery Steppe

  To approve the consent agenda. 

  For (8)	Mayor Duncan, Mayor White, Councilmember Elo-Rivera, Supervisor Montgomery Steppe, Chair Zito, Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza, Councilmember Fernandez, and Deputy Mayor Joyce
  Absent (2)	Mayor Esther Sanchez (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority), and Commissioner Michael Zucchet (Port of San Diego)

  The motion passed. (8 to 0)

3.1

Approval of Meeting Minutes

The Transportation Committee approved the minutes from its June 20, 2025, meeting.

3.2

Federal Performance Management Targets

The Transportation Committee approved the regional asset condition estimates, as outlined in the staff report.

3.3

2025 Regional Transportation Improvement Program Amendment No. 8

Steve Linke

I noted in Consent Item 3.3 that $50 million is being removed from the I-5/SR-78 Connector project, because this funding was not approved by the California Transportation Commission as part of the 2024 STIP (whatever that means). I would like this item to be pulled from the consent agenda so that an explanation can be given for this seemingly substantial removal of funding. Is this just a confusing, but benign, part of the arcane transportation funding system that will not delay the project, or could this lead to bad consequences like further project delays? Should/could SANDAG have been lobbying harder for the commission to approve the funding? It is ridiculous that this interchange of two major freeways in San Diego County still has a TRAFFIC SIGNAL regulating one of its legs, resulting in a mile-long stretch of vehicles idling and creeping along, spewing their GHGs and other pollution into the atmosphere, and leading to driving apps re-routing vehicles onto Carlsbad's surface streets to save time--congesting our streets, as well, and reducing safety for bicyclists and other users. This long overdue project has been languishing for a decade or more. When will it be completed? Steve Linke Former Carlsbad traffic commissioner

The Transportation Committee recommended that the Board of Directors adopt Resolution No. RTC-2026-01, approving Amendment No. 8 to the 2025 Regional Transportation Improvement Program.

5.

FY 2026 Transit Agency Operating Budgets

This item was taken out of order. 

Director of Financial Planning, Budgets & Grants Susan Huntington; Mike Thompson, Metropolitan Transit System; and Eun Park-Lynch and Mary Dover, North County Transit District; presented the item. 

Public Comments: Cesar Javier, Blair Beekman. 

• Motioned by: Mayor White
  Seconded by: Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza

  To approve the North County Transit District and the Metropolitan Transit System’s FY 2026 operating budgets for funding.

  For (8)	Mayor Duncan, Mayor White, Councilmember Elo-Rivera, Supervisor Montgomery Steppe, Chair Zito, Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza, Councilmember Fernandez, and Deputy Mayor Joyce
  Absent (2)	Mayor Esther Sanchez (San Diego County Regional Airport Authority), and Commissioner Michael Zucchet (Port of San Diego)

  The motion passed. (8 to 0)

4.

Draft 2025 Regional Plan: Public Hearing

Deputy Director of Regional Planning Tuere Fa'aola presented the item. The Transportation Committee was asked to conduct a public hearing to receive public comment on the draft 2025 Regional Plan and its Sustainable Communities Strategy.

Chair Zito opened the public hearing at 9:52 a.m.

Public Comments: Cesar Javier, Chris Roberts, KC Gupta, Kirena Godwin, Kaylee Tichenor, Elena Grilli, Felix Lopez, Diego Sandoval, Steve Linke, Kina Bramlette.

Chair Zito adjourned the public hearing at 10:43 a.m.

6.

2024 State of Commute Report

Senior Researcher and Modeler Joaquin Ortega presented findings from the 2024 State of the Commute report.

Public Comments: Cesar Javier.  

7.

Adjournment

The next Transportation Committee meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 5, 2025, at 1 p.m.

Chair Zito adjourned the meeting at 11:07 a.m.