New York Yankees in town, Big Bay Boom and 1 million beach-goers filling up transit seats
San Diego – With the New York Yankees in town, the Big Bay Boom and 1 million people expected to hit downtown and the beach for the holiday weekend, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is increasing service, running special promotions and reminding passengers to travel early to beat crowds. MTS service and promotions for the Fourth of July weekend are as follows:
New York Yankees vs. San Diego Padres (Friday – Sunday)
Pregame: All three Trolley lines (Green, Orange and UC San Diego Blue Lines) will depart all stations a minimum of every 15 minutes throughout the day. Green Line service will increase to every 7.5 minutes between Qualcomm Stadium and Petco Park beginning 90 minutes before first pitch.
Postgame: Trains will depart the 12th & Imperial Transit Center every 15 minutes until at least 45 minutes after the game ends. Extra trains will be inserted as needed until crowds diminish.
Fans are also encouraged to use mTicket, the MTS mobile ticketing app to speed up boarding and ticket vending machine lines. Multiple mTickets can be purchased on one smart phone too, making it easy for families and friends traveling together.
Big Bay Boom (Monday, July 4)
With more than 250,000 attendees expected to attend San Diego’s largest fireworks show, MTS advises passengers to travel at least two hours before the 9 p.m. start time.
Pre-Fireworks: Enhanced service on the Green Line between Qualcomm Stadium and downtown San Diego will begin at 3:30 p.m. Trains will depart every 7.5 minutes until the start of the show at 9 p.m.
Recommended viewing locations along the Trolley line are:
- County Center/Little Italy
- Santa Fe Depot
- Seaport Village
- Convention Center
- Gaslamp Quarter
Post-Fireworks: 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. Last trains to on all three lines leave the downtown around midnight.
Key MTS Bus Routes for Service Downtown and the Beach
People heading to the beach and downtown also have a variety of options using MTS bus routes. The routes with the best access are:
- Route 8: Old Town – Mission Bay – Mission Beach – Pacific Beach
- Runs every 15 minutes most of the day
- Route 30: Old Town – Pacific Beach – La Jolla – UTC
- Runs every 15 minutes most of the day between Old Town & Pacific Beach
- Runs every 30 minutes most of the day between Pacific Beach, La Jolla & UTC
- Rapid 215: SDSU – City Heights – North Park –Hillcrest – Downtown
- Runs every 15 minutes most of the day
- Rapid 235: Escondido – Rancho Bernardo – Miramar College – City Heights – Downtown
- Runs every 30 minutes all day
- Route 901: Downtown – Coronado – Imperial Beach
- Runs every 30 minutes most of the day on Saturday, 60 minutes all day on Sunday and Monday
- Route 904 (Free Coronado Shuttle): Coronado Ferry Landing – Hotel Del Coronado – Coronado City Hall
- Runs every 15 minutes all day starting at 9am
Fourth of July Service Schedule and Promotions
MTS would like to remind passengers that one friend is allowed to ride free with a paying passenger on any bus or Trolley on the Fourth of July. Bus and Trolley service will be operating on a Sunday schedule on Monday, July 4, and to plan accordingly based on the adjusted and limited schedule. Additionally, the MTS Information & Trip Planning call center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Transit Store will be closed.
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. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.
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