MTS Carries 192,597 Riders During Comic-Con

Ridership up 4%, Security Reports No Incidents

San Diego, CA –The hordes of fans of sci-fi, fantasy and comics attending the Comic-Con convention last week turned all of downtown into a dazzling display of other-worldly creativity.

From many accounts, Comic-Con mania was higher than ever this year. Downtown streets were jammed with pedestrians. Restaurants were packed. And the costumed crowds were remarkably well behaved.

Evidence of the success was on the San Diego Trolley system. Ridership for the event increased almost 4% from last year to 192,597 rides over the five days of the convention. Trains were standing-room-only for a large part of the show. Ridership was up; trouble was non-existent.

“We really believe that the Trolley has become part of the success story of many downtown special events,” said Paul Jablonski, chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Transit System, which operates the region’s light rail system. “We take thousands of cars off the road, alleviating pressure on downtown’s street grid and its limited parking. San Diego is fortunate to have invested in a transportation alternative that provides service right to the front door of the convention center and other major venues.”

For the Comic-Con Convention, MTS operated special Green Line trains from Santee and Mission Valley to the Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter. This provided Trolley riders on all three lines direct, single-seat service to downtown. MTS also operated its new low-floor cars on the Green Line, providing almost-level boarding for all MTS passengers.

Even with the heavy ridership, the crowds were well-behaved.

“We had absolutely no incidents related to people attending Comic-Con over the entire five days of the show,” Jablonski said. “From every aspect, our operations for the Comic-Con convention were a huge success.”

MTS operates more than 90 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every day more than 275,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS services. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.

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