Crowded trains expected—fans advised to travel early
San Diego – With high expectations and a sellout crowd making its way to Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday for the San Diego Chargers home opener, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is increasing service and advising all fans taking the Trolley to purchase passes through the MTS mTicket app to avoid Trolley ticket lines.
MTS will boost the number of pre- and post-game Green Line trains providing direct service to Qualcomm Stadium from downtown and Santee. Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. and increased service begins at 8:45 a.m. from downtown to the stadium, and at 9:20 a.m. from Santee to the stadium. After the game, extra Green Line service will be operating in both directions.
Passengers attempting to board trains after 11:30 a.m. should expect delays as trains reach capacity at stations closest to the stadium. The best locations to park and ride the Trolley to the game are:
- Hazard Center Station: 1,500 free parking spots (6 minutes to stadium)
- Grantville Trolley Station: 404 free parking spots (4 minutes to stadium)
- El Cajon Transit Center: 469 free parking spots (23 minutes to stadium)
- Old Town Transit Center: 412 free parking spots (14 minutes to stadium)
To avoid Trolley ticket lines and speed up the boarding process, passengers can purchase and store Trolley passes right on their smartphones at any time prior to arriving at transit stations by using MTS’s free mobile ticketing app called mTicket. Holders of mTickets can by-pass the Trolley line after the game through the mTicket express lane on the west side of the ramp. Multiple mTickets can be purchased on one smartphone too, making it easy for families traveling together. For more information, visit www.sdmts.com/mTicket.asp.
In addition to standard one-way and day Trolley passes, MTS has printed a limited quantity of commemorative San Diego Charger game day passes. The $6 commemorative day passes are sold at ticket booths at all Trolley stations on the Green Line between Old Town and Grantville. Commemorative day passes provide unlimited rides on all Trolley lines and most MTS bus routes.
MTS also advises fans to be aware of the NFL bag policy limiting the size and type of bag that will be allowed into the stadium. To read more travel tips for the game, visit the MTS website at www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Chargers.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 set a new record in FY 2015 with 96.7 million riders. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
###
