Finish the Rapid 215!
Make the 215 Truly Rapid
The 215 is San Diego’s busiest bus line and the backbone of transit for Mid-City, SDSU, and Downtown, but today it’s slower and less reliable than it should be. What was once envisioned as a ~30-minute end-to-end rapid route now routinely takes closer to 50 minutes, costing riders time, dignity, and opportunity.
BikeSD, RideSD, and SD350 have come together to finish the Rapid 215.
With low car ownership in Mid-City and among SDSU students, major plan updates in the Mid-City and College areas, and new first mile/last mile solutions like SANDAG’s Flexible Fleets Program, the timing is right to finally deliver on the promise of a faster Rapid 215. That means faster travel times (e.g. level boarding, off-board fare payments, and all-door boarding), more frequent service, continuous bus-only lanes, and real transit priority. On top of this, it will give San Diegans a real alternative to driving to some of the city’s top destinations, including SDSU, Downtown, and Balboa Park.
The 215 can be a truly rapid option, and there’s nothing new about this, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has clear guidelines on what constitutes bus rapid transit:
Physically separated bus lanes allow buses to avoid congestion;
Stations and bus lanes aligned to the center of the street to avoid being delayed by turning vehicles and vehicles dropping off passengers or goods;
Fares collected off the bus, to avoid delays caused by passengers paying on board;
Boarding from a platform level with the bus floor to make boarding faster, and so that people in wheelchairs or with strollers can roll directly onto the vehicle;
Turn restrictions and bus priority at intersections to reduce delay at intersections from red signals.
This campaign calls on the City, MTS, and SANDAG to stop backsliding on transit priority and instead build on proven successes, like the Safer Park Boulevard bus lanes, to make the 215 a true rapid transit option. Faster buses mean more riders, fewer car trips, and real progress on San Diego’s climate, equity, and vision zero goals.
The 215 doesn’t need to be reinvented. It needs to be completed.
Update (February 2026):
SANDAG released its top ranked transit corridor quick builds and the top two projects are for the 215 (Broadway, from City College to Harbor Drive & El Cajon Blvd, SR-15 to 54th Street).
While the report hesitates to provide quick-build solutions for El Cajon Blvd, east of SR-15 (“Bus priority lanes: Exist at the eastern end of the El Cajon Boulevard busway until the corridor reduces in width, where the lane ends. A bus priority lane any further east than this would require the constriction of general traffic to one lane, which may be infeasible, depending on traffic conditions on the corridor.”), it does provide some solid recommendations for quick-build implementation on Broadway, specifically:
1. Dedicated / priority bus lanes
The conceptual design recommends bus-priority lanes on Broadway where right-of-way allows. These could be peak-hour bus-only lanes or shared bus-bike lanes marked with paint and signs to give buses space separate from general traffic. This helps buses avoid being stuck behind cars.
2. Signal priority
Transit Signal Priority (TSP) would be expanded so buses get extended green lights or earlier green phases at traffic signals. That helps buses keep moving with fewer stops at red lights.
3. Bus stop and curb improvements
The quick-build design includes bus bulbs (curb extensions) and modular boarding platforms to improve boarding and alighting. These treatments reduce the time buses spend stopped in traffic and make it easier to board faster.
4. Stop consolidation
Some stops may be consolidated so buses stop less frequently, which reduces overall travel time.
5. Pedestrian and bike context (supporting rapid transit)
Although not bus-specific, the plans also recommend pedestrian curb extensions and bicycle lanes or shared markings which help create a safer, more predictable environment for transit buses and other street users.
Take Action
Click below to email the city and MTS/SANDAG leadership, demanding that they finish the Rapid 215!
Complete Streets Concept, Transit Network, and Transit Priorities in the College Area Plan Update