For years, what pedestrians entering the U.S. through the San Ysidro border crossing had to do to reach the nearby bus terminal was to go up a flight of stairs or take an elevator; this however, may change in the coming months.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) got a court order to block the access through the building across from the Port of Entry – which houses a renowned fast-food chain – forcing thousands of commuters to have to walk around the building to get to the bus terminal.
Small bus company owners with storefronts inside the building have voiced their complaint as they feel that the decision puts their businesses at a disadvantage to Greyhound, which operates the bus terminal property.
According to documentation, in 2012 MTS sole-sourced the lease to SYPS, LLC., of which Greyhound is a part.
As part of the agreement, Greyhound has never paid rent for the bus terminal property. Instead, it spent thousands of dollars on improvements such as public restrooms, benches, and shade, among others.
The restrooms have caused certain dismay, due to the fact that they are located outdoors in a sort of cage with open stalls, without separate facilities for men and women, in addition to having to pay a 50 cent charge to use them.
In a letter sent to the MTS Board, San Ysidro nonprofit Casa Familiar expressed their discontent with the final agreement between the parties, calling the improvements “archaic”.
“Outdoor bathrooms, without complete privacy, open to the elements are unacceptable, offensive, and openly disregard decency for the hundreds of thousands of travelers that fill up the coffers of your controlled transportation operations… and making pedestrians walk more due to a solvable dispute with the property owner is unfair and puts the safety of these commuters at risk every day”, states the document signed by Casa Familiar Director Andrea Skorepa. She also said that she feels that the suit against the owner of the building located a few steps from the border crossing will impact small businesses.
“Our community, our commuters, and our business entities deserve respect”, the letter concludes.
MTS has refused to comment on the matter, citing that it is an ongoing litigation.
Consultant Steve Padilla, who is working for building owners GWC, LLC., insisted that blocking this direct access endangers pedestrians, particularly those in wheelchairs and the elderly, who will now have to go around the large building to access the terminal.
Padilla added that even the bus company employees use the access through the building either through the stairs or the elevator.
He also criticized the improvements made to the terminal, stating that they are not up to par with the needs of the thousands of people who cross every day.
“This is the busiest border crossing in the world… thousands of people enter either Mexico or the U.S. through here every day, and they need the shortest, safest route”.