San Diego storms have left many roadways in disrepair, including the partial – and nearly total – closure of the intersection of La Media Road and Airway Road in Otay Mesa, which has also kept an MTS bus route out of service for weeks.
The closure has impacted hundreds of workers, many of whom now must walk for more than an hour to get to and from work every day, since other bus routes leave them much farther from work at the many industrial plants along La Media Road.
“[The bus route] is sorely missed. I have to walk pretty far, because you can’t get through here and so you have to go through there and go all the way around on Siempre Viva [Road],” said Miguel Angel Rodriguez, who works in Otay Mesa, as he was walking back from work to his home in San Diego.
The Chamber of Commerce also spoke out about the situation, expressing that although there is a long-term project to fix the roads, it’s still a couple of years away from implementation, and MTS has already threatened to permanently remove the route unless a final solution is found for the buses to get through.
“It’s a very busy business area; this affects all the trucks, but especially all the transit buses that bring employees to and from work and go through a large business area that is prone to flooding, particularly at that intersection, making the buses have to take a detour because they can’t get through,” shared Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce Director Alejandra Mier y Teran.
People like Rodriguez are constantly putting their lives in peril, because a lot of heavy-duty trucks travel through these roads. Because the area is designed mostly for vehicles, not pedestrians, business leaders and community members are asking for an immediate response from the City of San Diego.
“We need the City of San Diego’s support… to come out here and pump the water out, provide temporary paving so the bus can follow its route and not impact so many workers that use these services. If the City cannot commit to making these improvements on an ongoing basis, MTS says they will change the route permanently. If the situation is not resolved, it could be catastrophic for workers,” closed Mier y Teran.