Transportation Innovation and Coastal Charm: Touring the Port of San Diego and SANDAG

On Friday, April 7th, nine Viterbi, Sol Price and Keck students and members of the University of Southern California Institute of Transportation Engineers chapter (USC ITE) embarked on a technical trip to San Diego, California. We toured the Port of San Diego, learned about the San Diego Association of Governments’ (SANDAG) regional mobility initiatives, and enjoyed San Diego’s exceptional nature and culture. Our first stop after arriving in San Diego bright and early was the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT), where we met our hosts – two port officials and fellow Trojans: Ms. Aimee Heim, Government and Civic Relations Program Director, and Mr. Brion Bargo, a Marine Terminal Supervisor. Ms. Heim and Mr. Bargo provided a drive-through tour of TAMT, where millions worth of Dole fruits come through each year, and the National City Marine Terminal (NCMT) where thousands of brand new vehicles are unloaded from RO/RO vessels each week. Many are then loaded onto BNSF rail cars to the heartland. We also learned about the Port’s leading sustainability initiatives, including their first in the nation battery electric tugboat pilot program and their battery bank deployment initiative, which helps offset the port’s grid demand during peak hours. As we waved and said goodbye to our hosts, I couldn’t be more encouraged by Ms. Heim’s reminder: “the fuel shift away from carbon- based fuels is a fundamental change . . . there is a huge opportunity for young people to rethink how we (seaports) are doing business”.

After learning about the Port of San Diego, we travelled to SANDAG Headquarters, where we were greeted by Mr. Hasan Ikhrata, Chief Executive Officer and another fellow Trojan, Ms. Victoria Stackwick, Chief of Staff, Ms. Sharon Humphreys, Director of Engineering and Construction, and Mr. Danny Veeh, Senior Planner. There, we learned about their major transportation initiatives, including the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project, which adds a variable-priced, faster alternative to the congested San Ysidro Port of Entry while equitably offering benefits to underserved users. We also learned about SANDAG’s LOSSAN improvements, which seeks to make the critical rail corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego higher capacity, more efficient, and faster. Projects like these enhance the San Diego region’s connectivity for the next generation. All four of our hosts encouraged us to explore career options in transportation and in public service. “We are the future,” said Mr. Ikhrata. “Be sure to continue innovating and cultivating soft skills,” said Ms. Humphreys. We were also reminded by Mr. Veeh to seek internships and gain practical experience.

A trip to San Diego is hardly complete without experiencing what makes the region special. Between our visits to the Port of San Diego and SANDAG, we visited beautiful murals under the I-5/Coronado Bridge overpass in the Barrio Logan neighborhood – the largest collection of outdoor murals in the entire United States. For lunch, our group had a hard time picking between the dozens of options at Liberty Station, a former military installation turned walkable Grand Central Market-esque food court. And to unwind in the evening, we marveled the beautiful views at Cabrillo National Monument, high on top of the Point Loma peninsula overlooking the Naval Air Station and the Pacific Ocean, and at La Jolla Village, featuring more stunning Pacific scenes and even some sea lions.

Overall, in just a day in San Diego, students gained a better understanding of how complex it is to keep the region moving, and moving forward. We discovered that the Port of San Diego and SANDAG are both progressive, visionary organizations devoted to making San Diego and Southern California better. But more importantly, speaking with professionals at both organizations and learning how they advance equity and access reminded us of what transportation is really about: connecting people. And we thank David Martinez, USC ITE Vice President, for organizing this incredible trip, and Professor Shen, USC ITE Faculty Advisor/photographer, for continually supporting our organization and graciously driving our group to San Diego! This trip wouldn’t have been possible without their exceptional effort.