The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System presented a three-month advertising campaign to its board of directors Thursday, as the agency seeks to show off its redesigned website, low-floor trolley cars, rapid bus services and station upgrades.
The campaign, which included bus and trolley wraps, print ads and billboards, runs from January to March and cost just under $121,000. MTS spokesman Rob Schupp told board members the agency had invested $600 million to $700 million into a trolley renewal program and expected more than 90 percent of its buses to be running on low-emission compressed natural gas by the middle of the year.
"I think it's important to elevate the brand of MTS," he told board members. "I want people to understand the region is making smart investments in transportation and infrastructure."
The ads come as public transit ridership is falling across the country, largely due to cheaper gas prices. MTS saw a 2.5 percent dip in systemwide ridership in the past six months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
The MTS board also approved a new security contract with Universal Protection Services, and a 3.5 percent merit raise for MTS CEO Paul Jablonski. That increases his salary to $358,760.
San Diego City Councilwoman Lori Zapf cast the only vote against the raise, saying later through a spokeswoman that there was not enough information provided or any public discussion on the matter. Jablonski received a similar raise in March 2015.
