Shift Insider Blog

The Golden Triangle is going through a period of tremendous growth! Nearly 50 major public, private and transportation infrastructure projects are underway or planned over the next five years. The Shift team is here to help mitigate the impact of possible challenges created by construction and provide transportation choices to make it easier to get around. Check out the shift blog to stay up-to-date on the latest Golden Triangle transportation resources and experiences from commuters, residents and families in this area.

Employers that Shine in the Golden Triangle
by Shift San Diego | Nov 28, 2017
Sixty-seven employers countywide were recognized last month by iCommute with Diamond Awards for their outstanding efforts to encourage workers to use environmentally sustainable transportation choices.  Seventeen of the recognized employers are located within the greater Golden Triangle area.
The Diamond Awards is an annual recognition event hosted by the San Diego Association of Government’s (SANDAG) iCommute program, which provides a variety of services to commuters and employers to help reduce traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions. The number of Diamond Awards recipients continues to grow each year. “SANDAG is proud to recognize the 67 employers honored today for their success in developing programs that help their employees find more sustainable options to commute,” said County Supervisor and SANDAG Board Chair Ron Roberts. “Choosing an alternative to driving solo just once a week helps reduce regional congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and can make a big difference in employee wellness, productivity and retention.”
Diamond Award recipients promote commuting alternatives such as carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, transit, telework, and compressed workweek schedules. Many provide incentives, subsidies, or pre-tax deductions to support their employees’ participation in eligible programs.
Congratulations to our local neighbors:
Platinum Tier:
BD Biosciences Pharmingen
Scripps Health
UC San Diego
Silver Tier:
Illumina, Inc.
LPL Financial
Qualcomm, Inc.
US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Bronze Tier:
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Dexcom, Inc.
iMatrix
Mission Federal Credit Union
The Scripps Research Institute
Sequenom
TD Ameritrade
Texas Instruments, Inc.
Verimatrix
View a full list of winners.
View the event photos.
Employers throughout San Diego County are invited to take advantage of complimentary iCommute commuter program services to be eligible for Diamond Awards. 




Nov 28, 2017
A Commute Tidbit from a Winner of Fitbit
by Shift San Diego | Nov 15, 2017
A round of applause for UC San Diego student Kailey, one of three 2017 Rideshare Week pledge winners who won a Fitbit. She pledged to carpool with a friend to and from campus on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. She commutes from Mission Valley every day, but continues to carpool three times a week to campus.
When asked why she carpools, she happily replied, “I choose to share a ride because not only is it hard to find parking on campus, sharing a ride helps get more cars off the road and conserves gas.” 
Carpooling is an easy way to instantly reduce your commuting costs by 50 percent or more. Carpools also can take advantage of many free amenities throughout the region including carpool lanes, Park & Ride lots, and the Guaranteed Ride Home program. You’ll save time, money, and wear and tear on your car, all while helping to save the planet. Get started by finding someone to share a ride to/from school or work. Here are some carpooling & ridematching resources:
• iCommute
• UberPool
• LyftLine
• WAZE Carpool




Nov 15, 2017
Back to School By Carpool
by Shift San Diego | Oct 25, 2017
Back to School By Carpool
School is back in session and that means more vehicles are on the road. What better way to help reduce congestion than by featuring a student who has chosen to carpool to school? Andrew has been carpooling with his girlfriend and another school friend since their first day as freshman at UC San Diego. Now in their second year, they continue to commute from Chula Vista to La Jolla each day.
Andrew drives his car and picks up each passenger, who both live  within a mile from where he lives. They drive 35 miles to school, which would usually take about an hour, but without traffic it's closer to 25-30 minutes. When asked why they started a carpool Andrew replied, “As students, we are on a budget. We save a lot of money by carpooling.”
Here`s a breakdown of their carpool expenses and savings:



In addition to saving money, Andrew and his friends like carpooling because it also allows for more efficient transportation on/off campus and also helps the environment.
Andrew offers his advice to those students who want to try carpooling: ``Carpooling requires organization, good communication, and patience.”
Here are some of additional takeaways from his carpool experience:


Riding together helps to save money and time together. Not sure how to start carpooling? Check out these resources here. Want to learn more about UC San Diego parking? Get info here. Access traffic information before your drive at: 511SD, Caltrans QuickMap, WAZE, Google Maps, or Shift San Diego.




Oct 25, 2017
Construction Traffic Tips for Back to School
by Shift San Diego | Oct 03, 2017
With various construction projects in progress and school back in session, traffic can be challenging. Take some time to rethink your commute to school or work. Shift your solo drive and try an alternative transportation solution like carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, or taking transit. Check out some simple tips to get started:
Tip #1: Carpool to school. Share the costs. Reduce congestion.
Share your daily commute and save! Carpools benefit frommany free amenities throughout the region including HOV lanes, Interstate 805 Direct Access Ramps, Park & Ride lots, and the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.
Carpooling is an easy way to instantly reduce your commuting costs by 50 percent or more. Learn more and find a carpool match through iCommute. You can also check out these on-demand apps to share a ride via LyftLine, UberPOOL, or WAZE Carpool.
Are you a faculty  or staff member looking to save on your commute? A vanpool brings five or more people together to share the costs of getting to and from work in a van or SUV. Vanpool participants generally pay less than $100 per month to get to work! Learn more and find a vanpool match here.
Tip #2: Get construction alerts for an easier commute.
Over the next five years, nearly 50 major public, private and transportation infrastructure projects are underway or planned for the University City/Golden Triangle community that can impact traffic flow and daily commutes to school or work. Text ShiftSD to 797979 to receive construction alerts on your smartphone. That way you can determine a route that works better for you and avoid any freeway, road, or ramp closures.
Tip #3: Take transit and multitask on the bus.
Learn about trying transit here. There are eight routes that serve the La Jolla UC San Diego campus, including Rapid and SuperLoop. Need to get to Downtown San Diego? Take routes 30 or 150. Live in Rancho Bernardo, Sabre Springs, or Mira Mesa and need to head to class? Take Rapid 237. Need to get around University City? Take SuperLoop Rapid Routes 201/202. With so many options, why not give one a try?
Tip 4: Share a ride to school for a chance to win a prize.
There are monthly prize drawings for commuters who use alternative, more sustainable ways of getting to work or school. Anyone who makes at least eight round-trip transit, carpool, vanpool, walk, or bike commutes per month and logs trips is eligible. Simply sign up to log your commute trips using TripTracker and you will be automatically entered for chances to win! Prize drawings occur the first Wednesday of each month. For details, view the monthly prize drawing rules.
Tip #5: Learn about your bike commute resources.
GO by BIKE to catch a bus, train, or trolley instead of driving. You can leave your bike in a secure bike locker at more than 60 transit locations. You also can take your bike on the bus, trolley, or train and finish your commute to work or school by bike. Learn more about bike commuting options here.
If you are unsure how to get started with finding a new way to work or school, start with using the TripPlanner. Find the best way to get where you need to go by comparing multiple transportation choices in one place. Just enter your starting point and destination in TripPlanner, and click "Let's Go!" It's that easy. TripPlanner compares carpool, vanpool, transit, walk, and bike options, and will provide you with ridematching options that meet your preferences. Have fun trying a new commute that works for you!




Oct 03, 2017
Shift at Work
by Shift San Diego | Sep 26, 2017
Various traffic controls and closures are scheduled for the next several weeks for a variety of projects in the University City/La Jolla area with major construction and closures planned on Interstate 5 over the next several months. The Shift team is helping to coordinate these neighboring efforts into a simple way to consolidate closure information.
Different project teams are making efforts to utilize the same traffic controls in place when it makes sense. For example, the overnight closures this week on northbound and southbound Interstate 5 are being utilized by the I-5/Genesee Interchange and the Gilman Bridge project teams. Additionally, Caltrans can also schedule maintenance crews during these same closures.
For the latest news and updates, make sure to check the Notices section of the Shift website and bookmark it as a favorite page. Here you will find Shift notices as well as individual project notices that were recently issued and distributed. You can also sign up for text alerts about closures by texting ShiftSD to 797979.
If you are having trouble navigating your commute through construction, there are a variety of transportation resources on Shift to help you find a ride to share or even compare different ways to get to work or school through the TripPlanner. 




Sep 26, 2017
Plan Ahead: Southbound I-5 and I-805 Closures on September 23-25
by Shift San Diego | Sep 19, 2017
As a courtesy to those travelling in and out of San Ysidro Port of Entry (POE), SANDAG is sharing this important road closure information from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
For 57 hours, starting Saturday, September 23, at 3:00 a.m. and continuing through 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 25, all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 (I-5) and Interstate 805 (I-805) will be closed to traffic south of the State Route 905 (SR 905) as part of an ongoing improvement project by GSA. Southbound traffic on these corridors will be detoured to SR 905; access will be provided for businesses and residents via local roads. 
There will be no southbound vehicular access into Mexico through the San Ysidro POE during this time. All southbound traffic will be diverted to the Otay Mesa POE. At the San Ysidro POE, cross-border access will be available for northbound vehicles, as well as northbound and southbound
pedestrians. Travelers should expect longer than usual wait times at both ports of entry. People who commute to work are encouraged to carpool, vanpool, or use public transit during the closure. Ride together. Save together. Reduce congestion.
The 57-hour freeway closure is necessary for GSA to realign a portion of the I-5 and to construct new vehicle POE lanes. The closure also will allow crews to safely complete other necessary roadwork and critical tasks as part of improvements to the San Ysidro POE.
View freeway and local road detours on an interactive map at bit.ly/5RealignDetours. For more information about the closure or the GSA project, go to  gsa.gov/5realign.
Additionally, access real-time traffic info through any of these resources: 511SD, Caltrans QuickMap, WAZE, and Google Maps.




Sep 19, 2017
A No Stress Commute
by Shift San Diego | Aug 31, 2017
Maria has been a devoted bus rider for almost two years. Not only does she take three to four buses every day from North Park to Scripps Green Hospital in Torrey Pines, she also uses the bus to travel to her other appointments throughout San Diego County. She is considering giving up her car because she loves the multiple benefits of taking the bus such as reducing stress, staying healthy by walking more, and replacing her driving commute with productive time on the bus. Maria encourages all her friends and colleagues to try taking the bus too. As another incentive, Scripps Health encourages their employees to take a sustainable way to work by reimbursing a percentage of their monthly transit costs.
Interested in trying transit but not sure how to start? Use the TripPlanner to compare alternative commutes. Enter your origin and destination in the TripPlanner, press the “Let`s Go” button, and see which routes work best for you.

Are you an employer who is interested in developing a commuter benefits program or need some additional support for promoting transportation solutions? Read more about how we can help you through the iCommute Employer Services Program.




Aug 31, 2017
Side by Side We Make a Shift Together
by Shift San Diego | Aug 04, 2017
SANDAG along with its partners, the City of San Diego, University of California San Diego, Metropolitan Transit System and Caltrans launched the expansion of Shift San Diego this week. An employer in the University City/Golden Triangle area, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, also spoke about how Shift has been an important resource for their employees and how they commute to work. Shift has been designed to provide residents, businesses and commuters impacted by construction with information and resources to minimize disruption, confusion and potential traffic challenges. With an anticipated 50 projects over the next 5 years in the University City /Golden Triangle community, the program will also serve as a unique hub for coordination and regular communication between the many construction teams involved with each major project. As an important component in reducing traffic congestion, Shift also continues to be a resource for transportation solutions. Check out the event coverage:
‘San Diego’s Go-To Transportation Solution’: City launches Shift platform eyeing 50 Golden Triangle/La Jolla construction projects (La Jolla Light)
New Website Helps San Diegans Navigate Through UC Construction (Times of San Diego)
 Website to help navigate University City construction projects (FOX 5) 
50 Construction Projects Planned in Golden Triangle (NBC 7)
As Golden Triangle construction intensifies, commuters get high-tech help (ABC 10)
SANDAG prepares for traffic increases due to nearly 50 construction projects in ‘Golden Circle’ (KUSI)
New Program’s Aim: Brace Region for Golden Triangle Construction Impacts (San Diego Business Journal)
A new resource for residents navigating UTC construction projects -- Shift San Diego (Nextdoor)





Aug 04, 2017