SAN DIEGO–Supervisor Ron Roberts, who has a long history of public service at local, regional, and state levels, was elected today as the Vice Chair of the SANDAG Board of Directors.
A member of the SANDAG Board for almost two decades, Roberts has extensive experience as a regional thinker and collaborator with all 18 cities in the region. He was elected to both the San Diego City Council and his current post as the County’s Fourth District supervisor. He provides leadership on countywide transit issues as a member of the Metropolitan Transit System.
In addition, Supervisor Roberts is deeply involved in air quality issues at the regional and state levels, currently serving on both the county’s Air Pollution Control District Board and the California Air Resources Board.
“Supervisor Ron Roberts is one of the most passionate and forward-thinking policymakers in the region,” SANDAG Chair and Santee Councilmember Jack Dale said. “He has an impressive track record championing bold ideas and bringing them to fruition. His leadership as Vice Chair on the SANDAG Board will benefit our region tremendously as we push forward with the Trolley extension and other major initiatives.”
Roberts has chaired the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project Working Group since its inception in 2009, spearheading community relations in the region’s effort to extend the Trolley Blue Line from Downtown San Diego to UC San Diego and the University City community. The $1.7 billion project achieved both state and federal environmental clearance earlier this year, with preliminary construction activities set to begin in late 2015.
He is a central figure in the expansion and modernization of San Diego’s transit system. Major transportation initiatives that he has championed include the conversion of the MTS bus fleet to natural-gas powered buses; adoption of a new Rapid transit network; and the extension of the Green Line to the San Diego State University campus. This past May, he and the rest of the County Board of Supervisors also realized a 15-year dream of transforming asphalt parking lots surrounding the County Administration Center into a world-class waterfront park.
