Many viewing locations near Green Line Trolley stations; free parking at Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego – With more than 250,000 people expected to attend the Big Bay Boom fireworks show over San Diego Bay, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is adding service on the Green Line and advising spectators to take the Trolley to avoid significant traffic delays and parking hassles.
Enhanced service on the Green Line between Qualcomm Stadium and downtown San Diego will begin at 5 p.m. Trains will depart every 7.5 minutes until the start of the show at 9 p.m. If attendees are planning to arrive early or stay late, Trolley and bus Saturday schedules will be in effect.
All three MTS Trolley lines provide direct service to downtown San Diego for the fireworks show. After the show, Green Line trains will depart every 7.5 minutes until 11:30 p.m., with the last train to Santee departing the 12th & Imperial Transit Center at 12:06 a.m. Last departures for Blue and Orange Line trains will be just prior to midnight. The greatest frequency of departing trains will be immediately after the end of the fireworks.
Here’s how Trolley riders can get to the Big Bay Boom:
The Green Line
From Santee to various stations along the Embarcadero – brings fans steps away from the largest fireworks shows in San Diego County. Recommended Green Line viewing stations are:
- County Center/Little Italy
- Santa Fe Depot
- Seaport Village
- Convention Center
- Gaslamp Quarter
The Blue Line
From San Ysidro, South Bay, Chula Vista and National City, take the Blue Line to America Plaza. Trains depart every 15 minutes all day.
The Orange Line
From El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, and Encanto, take the Orange Line to the Santa Fe Depot. Trains depart every 15 minutes all day.
Fireworks will launch from four barges stationed in the north end of San Diego Bay. A music simulcast is available on 105.7 MAX FM. Frequent Trolley service will resume on all three Trolley lines after the show concludes and MTS recommends attendees adjust their departure time after the show to avoid the immediate rush of people leaving the downtown area.
Attendees riding the Trolley can speed up boarding and avoid ticket line hassles by purchasing and storing their Trolley tickets on their smartphones using mTicket, MTS’s free mobile ticketing app. Multiple mTickets can be purchased on one smart phone too, making it easy for families and friends traveling to the fireworks show together.
For those using a ticket vending machine, day passes are $5 for people with Compass Cards. There is a $2 fee for day passes purchased without a Compass Card. When arriving at stations, passengers can purchase a one-way ticket or day pass from the ticket vending machines located at all stations.
Additionally, MTS will be operating on a holiday service schedule on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Modified schedules and hours of operation can be found at www.sdmts.com/bus/detours/holidaycalendar.asp.
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services. MTS is expecting to set a new record this year with more than 97 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
###
