The North County Transit District (NCTD) introduced its new on-demand transportation service, NCTD+, to the San Marcos area on June 11, with a ribbon-cutting event held at the local Farmers Market. Mayor Rebecca Jones, who once advocated for such a service on the NCTD board, expressed a personal stake in witnessing the project's realization. "During my time serving on the NCTD board, I was a strong advocate in developing a microtransit service to ensure transportation was more affordable, accessible and convenient for the community. Now, I am able to see that vision come to fruition through the NCTD+ on-demand transit service", Mayor Jones remarked, as cited by the City of San Marcos.
Collaboration among NCTD, the City of San Marcos, Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College, and the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce is credited for bringing this service to life. The program's supporters expect it to significantly enhance local transit options. In a display of collective enthusiasm, President and CEO of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Rick Rungaitis, shared his support of the initiative, as per the City of San Marcos, "We’re excited that North County Transit District chose the San Marcos Farmers Market to launch the NCTD+ service."
The NCTD+ service aims to offer more flexible travel arrangements within San Marcos, functioning as a support to existing transportation infrastructure. The service links passengers to major transit nodes such as SPRINTER rail stations and BREEZE bus stops, but also to neighborhood fixtures like Palomar College, Cal State San Marcos, and various business establishments.
Shawn M. Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer of NCTD, sees innovation as a key to community satisfaction in public transit, saying, as detailed by the City of San Marcos, “Developing new ways to increase mobility, provide more connectivity to our transportation network, and bring new assets to the communities we serve is a key focus for The District”. Specifically, the NCTD+ service fulfills the important role of connecting commuters to their final destinations that might otherwise be just beyond the reach of traditional bus and train lines.
Operations for the NCTD+ are scheduled daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and can be accessed using the NCTD+ app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google method of obtaining the service is by calling 760-726-1111. To incentivize first-time usage, the District is offering a complimentary initial ride with the promotional code FREERIDE through December 31.
