At mid-project, KTU+A (Kawasaki, Theilacker, Ueno & Associates) was faced with the challenge of computerizing traditionally hand-drawn landscape architectural plans for a 6-mile segment of the Mission Valley West LRT Project, part of an 11-mile, $240 million trolley route that will eventually extend light rail transit service from Old Town to Interstate 15 east of Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California.

Having worked on trolley projects for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Develop-ment Board (MTDB) since 1979, KTU+A management wanted to do more than the minimum: a long history of work and bright future with MTDB was at stake.

But KTU+A's drawings were 35% complete when the MTDB decided their 500-drawing construction document package needed to be in Autocad format to avoid logistics and handling problems. KTU+A had to clear some hurdles - and quickly: Conversion was required by the 65% submittal stage.

It was decided that neither redrafting nor inhouse conversion was cost-effective (their most appropriate computer technology was fully dedicated to a GIS habitat mapping project), so KTU+A researched several scanning and CADD drafting services.

Video traced drawings allowed KTU+A to present their client with drawings that were virtually the same as drawings originally produced on AutoCad - not just scans. For reasonable hourly rates, a San Diego-based service bureau not only traced KTU+A's work to produce live vector drawings, but also incorporated the extensive new drafting standards - changes in line weights, scale, formats for textual notes, and graphic standards - that had been developed by the MTDB's engineering consultant.

In the course of the Mission Valley West LRT Extension Project, video technology provided several project solutions for KTU+A - including the ability to provide high quality visual simulations. "Video simulations provide greater depth than video capture," said Brad Lewis, "and are very effective for community awareness workshops."

San Diego, California 's MTDB is constructing one center-loading and two side-loading LRT stations as part of the Old Town San Diego LRT, all designed by R. Brad Lewis of KTU+A. Old Town Transit Center, the largest of the three stations, consists of a Trolley Station, Commuter Rail Station, and a Bus Transfer Center within the Old Town San Diego Planned District. An "American Period," late 1800's San Diego County Railroad Station design theme is being used in compliance with the Old Town Planned District Ordinance, as is a primarily wood Depot Building design by Milford Wayne Donaldson, FAIA. Boyle Engineering Corporation was the engineering consultant. 4 Ward Tech's video tracing technology helped standardize the drawing formats of multiple consulting firms. LASN