Last Friday I had the privilege to be one of the first people to ride the Sprinter from Oceanside to Escondido. The trip and celebration that followed was the culmination of more than 20 years of planning, funding and building of this commuter line that will carry passengers sometime this month. What impressed me most about the trip was not the comfort or quietness of the ride, but that it happened at all.

Getting a major infrastructure project like the Sprinter completed is becoming almost impossible. The challenges of obtaining the land, with right-of-ways, securing all of the funding required, completing the environmental impact studies and gaining community support are only the first steps.

When the North County Transit District started the project it was budgeted for $60 million in 1993. When it went to bid in July 2004 the price had risen to $375.5 million and the final total is expected to be at $484.1 million or above. A part of these cost increases is construction-related, but a significant percentage is the result of all the delays and imposed hurdles that the district was forced to overcome.

The benefits of this new mass transit system will not be known for a few years. The perceived benefits as outlined by the district are:

- The Sprinter runs 22 miles along the Highway 78 corridor connecting passengers to work, school, shopping centers and other activities.

- With significant population growth coming, the Sprinter will reduce traffic by eliminating hundreds of cars and will offer North County residents a green alternative.

- The predictable, reliable service is easy to use, practical and consumer friendly. It's easy to reach North County's top destinations using the BREEZE bus system, which serves all 15 stations. Additionally, the Coaster trains connect with the Sprinter in Oceanside.

- The Sprinter also encourages transit-oriented development in the cities along the route, a prospect that supports the principles of Smart Growth.

Is the Sprinter worth the costs and inconveniences that will occur while you sit at the crossing waiting for the train to pass?
Not if you don't use it!

Riding the Sprinter will require a change in how we think and commute. Until we start using alternative means of transportation, the commute times will increase and our quality of life will suffer. It's time to stop waiting for others to change and take action ourselves. All aboard!