Cross-border love story brings color and connection to San Ysidro
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San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) yesterday unveiled a new mural in San Ysidro created by local artist Michelle Guerrero, professionally known as Mr. B Baby. The vibrant artwork, located just south of the Beyer Blvd. Trolley Station, is the latest in a series of beautification projects designed to make MTS stations and their surroundings more welcoming and reflective of the communities they serve.
“MTS is proud to work with local artists like Mr. B Baby to bring creativity and community pride into our transit spaces,” said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilmember. “Public art creates a more inviting experience for transit riders and allows MTS to connect with the local community in a powerful, artistic way.”
“Public art like this helps tell the story of San Ysidro — a community defined by its resilience and strong cultural ties,” said Vivian Moreno, MTS Board Member and San Diego City Councilmember representing San Ysidro. “Public spaces can celebrate the people who live here while creating a more inviting experience for everyone, and I’m proud that MTS is playing a key role in it.”
The mural tells a deeply personal story inspired by the artist’s parents — a cross-cultural love story that spans the U.S.-Mexico border. Painted across two walls, the mural features a woman framed by the San Diego skyline and a man beside the Tijuana skyline, depicted as ballet folklórico dancers. The muralist painted an opening between two cliffs at the top of the bridge, symbolizing the gap created by the border. Yet the dancers, standing proudly on opposite sides, show that culture and love transcend any physical boundaries. The couple’s story concludes as they take flight on a butterfly, representing love and unity across borders.
“This mural is a tribute to the vibrant, intertwined cultures of San Ysidro and Tijuana, two cities connected by geography yet bound by something much greater, our shared roots,” said muralist Michelle Guerrero, known as Mr. B Baby. “Growing up in Chula Vista, just north of San Ysidro, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing this unique border region firsthand. Like San Ysidro, Chula Vista is a place where Mexican and American cultures blend seamlessly, where the border serves not as a division, but as a bridge between two worlds.”
The artwork also features Chucho, Mr. B Baby’s signature piñata character. Chucho appears in much of her work and represents resilience — a piñata that grows stronger through its cracks, symbolizing strength through adversity.
The new mural is part of MTS’s larger beautification efforts, which aim to improve its passenger experience through art, safety upgrades, and infrastructure improvements. MTS has completed murals at several other stations, including Grossmont, Massachusetts, 62nd Street, 47th Street, Euclid Avenue, and the 67th Street pedestrian crossing.
Next along the UC San Diego Blue Line corridor, MTS—in partnership with Casa Familiar—will begin work on the Beyer Blvd. Trolley Station Pathway Project, designed to modernize and improve station access. Planned improvements include:
- New and repaired concrete for safer pedestrian and bicycle pathways
- Installation of energy-efficient lighting
- Drought-tolerant landscaping and public art elements
The Beyer Blvd. beautification project is expected to be completed by fall 2027.
In addition to mural collaborations, MTS also partnered with Mr. B Baby to design a limited-edition Hispanic Heritage Month PRONTO card released in September. The card, which features Chucho, is part of MTS’s PRONTO Community Celebration Program — an ongoing initiative that highlights the people, partners, and cultures that make San Diego thrive.
Together, the mural and the PRONTO card serve as colorful symbols of the creativity and unity that define the border region, and the communities MTS connects every day.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 93 bus routes and four Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday, more than 255,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system, taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2025, MTS served more than 81 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
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