On Thursday, June 26, Mid-City CAN hosted an exciting Networking Night, bringing together an enthusiastic crowd of community members and Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) representatives for an evening about the future of transportation. MTS CEO Sharon Cooney kicked things off by addressing two key issues: the looming fiscal crisis MTS faces and the importance of the Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP).

"The good thing is we have some time. We have three years before we hit that fiscal cliff if we can't find new revenues," said Cooney. "Also, if we do find new revenues, we're looking at the possibility of expanding transit and really re-envisioning transit with the abundance that any revenues could bring to us."

She also highlighted the impact of YOP, sharing how her teenage sons and their friends have used the pass to explore San Diego during the summer. "It really does open doors, and this organization (Mid-City CAN) in particular really was spearheading the effort to get that moving," Cooney added. YOP is slated to end on June 2026 and our Improving Transportation in City Heights (ITCH) team continues to meet monthly and advocate for its extension.

MTS Manager of Marketing and Communications Stacie Bishop followed and presented the Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA), a tool designed to pinpoint opportunities for improving the transit system. COA looks at how changes to routes, schedules, and services might affect ridership and equity, while also considering how these adjustments could impact MTS's budget. "At MTS, that's our ultimate goal - we want to make public transit work better for more people," she said.

Community members then provided feedback through a 15-minute mapping activity, where they marked areas in San Diego that could benefit from enhanced transit services. After, they broke into groups for 20-minute discussions led by MCC staff, where they shared their transportation priorities.

It was a fun and impactful evening where guests had their voices heard and also enjoyed delicious Thai food from So Saap, making the night both insightful and flavorful! Click here to view photos.