Exciting team and popular matchups during the season highlight importance for fans to use transit on gamedays
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San Diego- With capacity crowds expected at Petco Park for Opening Weekend and throughout the 2022 regular season, the Metropolitan Transit System and San Diego Padres are teaming up to educate fans about the easy way to get to games this year – by transit.
As part of a new education campaign, MTS and the San Diego Padres today unveiled a new Padres-themed Trolley vehicle that encourages fans to take transit to Petco Park.
“With all three Trolley lines and many bus routes serving the doorstep to Petco Park, MTS has the capacity to take tens of thousands of fans to each game and get them home quick and easy,” said Nathan Fletcher, MTS Board Chair, and Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “Taking transit is affordable, saves time, cuts down on vehicle pollution, and helps make the game day experience even better.”
“With an exciting mix of talent on the roster and a veteran manager at the helm, we expect the 2022 Padres to provide plenty of memorable moments and make Petco Park the place to be this season,” said Padres CEO Erik Greupner. “Partnering with MTS to educate fans and provide another convenient option for attending games allows us to continue to welcome the best fans in baseball to America’s Number 1 ballpark.”
Notable homestands throughout the 2022 season are highlighted by home weekend series against National League West opponents, including two weekend tilts against the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as one weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Other popular home series include:
The 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves: Apr 14-17
- Interleague matchup against the Minnesota Twins: July 29-31
- Interleague matchup against the Cleveland Guardians: August 23-24
- Interleague matchup against the Chicago White Sox: September 30-October 2
As part of the partnership, three Trolleys and four buses will be wrapped in Padres brown and gold, to keep transit at the top mind of everyone attending games. MTS and the Padres will also cross-promote communications with ticketholders and fans throughout the year about gameday transportation.
This season for most Padres games, including key homestands, MTS will ramp up its Trolley service to help with the anticipated large crowds. Trolleys will serve all stations every 7-15 minutes most of the day. First pitch for Opening Day is at 5:10 p.m. against the Atlanta Braves. Important transit service information for Opening Weekend includes:
Sycuan Green Line (Santee – Mission Valley – Old Town – Gaslamp Quarter)
Trolley frequency will increase up to every 7.5 minutes before and after the game
Park and ride pro tip: Old Town Transit Center
Best station to access Petco Park: Gaslamp Quarter Station
Orange Line (El Cajon – La Mesa – Lemon Grove – East Village)
Trolleys depart stations every 15 minutes before and immediately after the game
Park and ride pro tip: Plenty of parking at Spring Street, El Cajon, and Euclid Avenue Transit Centers.
Best station to access Petco Park: 12th & Imperial Transit Center
UC San Diego Blue Line (San Ysidro – Chula Vista – National City – East Village-Old Town-La Jolla/UTC)
Service will run every 7.5 minutes between San Ysidro and downtown, and every 15 minutes between UTC to downtown.
Park and ride pro-tips: E Street Station Transit Center. *NEW Park and Ride lots north of Downtown: Tecolote Road, Balboa, and Nobel Drive.
Best station to access Petco Park: 12th & Imperial Transit Center
Great bus service to downtown
MTS has 22 bus routes with stops in the downtown area including Rapid 215 (SDSU – Downtown), Rapid 235 (Escondido – Downtown) and Rapid 225 (Otay Mesa – Downtown). MTS will also increase service on Route 901. Fans can use the MTS Trip Planner function or OneBusAway app to find the transit trip that works best
Touchless Payments
PRONTO mobile ticketing app allows fans to avoid ticket vending machines and buy tickets their smartphones.
Affordable cost
Adults 19 and older can ride one way for $2.50 (with free transfers for two hours) or unlimited rides all day long for only $6.
Youth 18 and under, and seniors can ride for $1.25 one-way and $3 for unlimited rides all day
Free Park & Rides
Dozens of transit centers allow for free parking when taking the Trolley to the game.
About MTS
MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines across 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego County. Frequencies and spans have been restored to near-pre-COVID-19 levels. Updated schedules can be accessed on the MTS website.
