Rio Vista Trolley Station

Oh… hey look at that, I can check in and review another Trolley Station. Who knew?
Not much to see here, folks. There ain’t much to say other than it’s along side the SD river, right smack dab on some apartments/​condos and looks like just about every other SDMTS trolley station that you’ve come across… only it doesn’t have a cool cityscape like the ones downtown.
The last green line departure time that goes all the way to end of the line (Santee) from here is 10:34PM so if you live anywhere further down the line than SDSU, you better book it down that hill and make it here before 10:34 or you’re going to be doing some walking.
This place ain’t bad but hey, what do you expect? It’s just a trolley station. If I wasn’t bored, would I even write about it? If you weren’t bored would you even read what I wrote about it?

Rio Vista is an odd trolley station for me. It’s a very beautiful station and the luxury apartments it’s connected to is amazing. It’s close to a small shopping center and within walking distance to Mission Valley Mall. It does not have any free parking and there are no bus lines in the area. Overall, I feel this stop is unnecessary considering the area, but then again, there is a lot of residential structures so I know it serves its purpose. If it wasn’t for the quality that this place is maintained at, I’d give it a lower rating but I must applaud it for being one of the cleanest trolley stations in San Diego.

5÷24÷14
This trolley stop is located near a great apartment/​condo complex of a friend. It was only a few blocks and very convenient to get around San Diego! This was the only time out of the entire weekend that it took rather long for a train to come by. We saw 3 trains go in the opposite direction before one came our way. It was 10 at night but the ratio of trains going our way seemed a little off.
The trolley station was very clean and well lit. They have a metro card station where you can purchase your fair. There are route maps so that you can map out your trip. This line was the green line that our station was on. Once the trolley arrived they have a push button system that opens the doors of the red trolley. Once on the trolley there is a lower areas that has some seating but mainly for standing. The higher (step up level) has seats for patrons to sit for their ride. I have NEVER been on a clean metro (trolley) like this and I am a frequent rider of the NY, DC, and MD metro and subway. If I am ever in San Diego I will be a regular commuter on the trolley system. One of the best I have ever seen.
It was a little weird that you pay for a fair and no one checks it. My boyfriend says they do random checks and you can be fined a hefty fine. With way it’s not too pricey so just pay it and be honest about it. The price for a day pass if you already have a reusable access card is only $ 5. Not bad and better than renting a car.

The trolley system has significantly improved over the years. The extension of the Green Line into downtown San Diego makes it worthwhile to ride it from Rio Vista. Otherwise, the transfer at Old Towne simply takes too much time.
The train still can’t run on time. It’s better, but I wouldn’t rely on it for anything urgent, which is sad. The problem is people not respecting the doors closing, whether they are slow, drunk, or crazy. The courtesy to open and close doors for these people eats up a lot of time. In New York, the door would have slammed shut and the train would be past the platform in similar circumstances. I’m not advocating New York standards, but there is a lot of work to be done for this to be a viable commuter service than just a way of getting to and from the bars without a car.

San Diego isn’t widely known for their transit system so I’m well accustomed to knowing that the arrival time may just be a guideline. I have to say that this station is a nice one since it’s right behind a gorgeous apartment complex. I do enjoy that if the trolley is taking a bit, you can just stroll into the promenade and grab something from the Food Trucks that roll by or the coffee shop inside.

This station is served by the Green Line and Red Line special event service between Qualcomm Stadium and downtown.
The Green Line, as has been noted in other station reviews, has a «string of pearls» where so many similar land uses are tied together by the Trolley and even have stations next to each other. First it’s medical facilities east of San Diego State, next it’s SDSU and National University (near Grantville station).
Following that is San Diego’s transit-​oriented developments that are anchored by Trolley stops. Fenton Parkway was built for the Archstone apartment colony.
Then there’s Rio Vista, a far more ambitious community built around the Trolley. New Urbanist guru Peter Calthorpe consulted on this project. It’s really sleek … and probably even more expensive than coastal North County.
Los Angeles managed to poach San Diego’s Gail Goldberg to plan stuff like Rio Vista up north. (And no, I am not adding this statement here to deliberately up my funny count. L.A. is really trying to do transit oriented development.) Whether her task is Sisyphean or Quixotic, that’s up to the English lit majors to decide.
Connections: Metropolitan Transit System lines 6, 14 and 18.