The current Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the project, approved by the SANDAG Board of Directors in 2003, is a Light Rail Transit (Trolley) project. It begins just north of the Old Town Transit Center and travels in existing railroad right-of-way and alongside Interstate 5 to serve UCSD and UTC.

To address changed conditions in the corridor since the adoption of the LPA, SANDAG recently completed a Draft Comparative Evaluation of Alternatives report. This report assessed a number of project alternatives to provide transit in the corridor, including Light Rail Transit, Bus Rapid Transit, Commuter Rail and Transportation Systems Management. The evaluation resulted in a recommendation that three Light Rail Transit alternatives move forward in the process for further review.

On April 23, 2010, the SANDAG Board of Directors approved three project alternatives to move forward to Scoping for the projects environmental document. The Scoping Period is an important milestone in the project development process. It provides an opportunity for the public to weigh in at an early phase in the environmental review for the project.

The scoping period runs from May 3, 2010 through June 1, 2010. The three alternatives moving forward to Scoping are all Light Rail Transit (Trolley) alternatives. Information about alternatives that have been recommended for elimination from further review also will be available during Scoping for public review and comment.

Five open house Scoping Meetings are scheduled in locations throughout the Mid-Coast Corridor to help facilitate public comment. Notice and specific details of these meetings is available at www.sandag.org/midcoast.

At the conclusion of the scoping period, SANDAG staff will prepare a Final Comparative Evaluation of Alternatives that addresses the development and evaluation of alternatives, comments received during Scoping, and a recommendation for which alternative(s) should move forward for detailed analysis in the draft environmental document.