Avoid traffic and ride MTS to San Diego’s Big Bay Boom fireworks show
San Diego – Bright fireworks will fill the sky, large crowds will fill the waterfront, and heavy traffic will fill streets Friday for San Diego’s biggest Fourth of July celebration, the Big Bay Boom. With tens of thousands expected to head downtown, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is ramping up Trolley service so attendees can avoid gridlock traffic, parking hassles, and enjoy the fireworks and fun.
Trolley service will be added on all three lines serving the Big Bay Boom before and after the fireworks show. Each Trolley line drops off spectators steps away from the annual Fourth of July fireworks show.
The Big Bay Boom begins at 9 p.m. with four displays at different locations lighting up the San Diego Bay. Top spots for viewing the show are all within a short walk from several centrally located Trolley stations:
- County Center / Little Italy (UC San Diego Blue Line & Green Line)
- Santa Fe Depot (UC San Diego Blue Line & Green Line)
- America Plaza (UC San Diego Blue Line)
- Seaport Village (Green Line)
- Convention Center (Green Line)
- Gaslamp Quarter (Green Line)
For a full Trolley schedule and other event information, visit the MTS Big Bay Boom page.
Big Bay Boom Trolley Service Information:
- Pre-event Service
- Green Line Trolleys arrive at all stations every 15 minutes or better, with additional trips from SDSU added two hours prior to the event's start time.
- UC San Diego Blue Line Trolleys serve all stations every 15 minutes prior to the event’s start time.
- Orange Line Trolleys will operate on a Sunday schedule. Take the Orange Line to the 12th & Imperial Transit Center and transfer to the Green Line Trolley.
- Post-event Service
- Green Line Trolleys depart from stations every 15 minutes or better, with additional trips until approximately 9:50 p.m. The last trip to El Cajon departs 12th & Imperial at 11:36 p.m.
- UC San Diego Blue Line Trolleys will run every 15 minutes service in both directions, with an additional trip from Santa Fe Depot to UTC at 9:45 p.m.
- The last northbound trip of the evening departs from 12th & Imperial at 11:08 p.m. (and Sante Fe Depot at 11:22 p.m.).
- The last southbound trip of the evening departs from Sante Fe Depot at 11:52 p.m. (and 12th & Imperial at 12:07 p.m.).
- Orange Line Trolleys will depart from 12th & Imperial every 15 minutes until approximately 10:30 p.m. The last trip to El Cajon departs 12th & Imperial at 11:56 p.m.
- UC San Diego Blue Line and Green Line Tip: For those traveling north on the UC San Diego Blue Line or east on the Green Line from Santa Fe Depot or County Center/Little Italy, MTS recommends that passengers board the first train available and then transfer at Old Town, if needed, where plenty of space will be available on trains heading towards UTC or Santee.
Also happening this Fourth of July weekend, the San Diego Padres will face the Texas Rangers, drawing tens of thousands of fans to Petco Park. To accommodate the high volume of fans, MTS will ramp up Trolley service before and after each game. MTS encourages everyone to skip the traffic and take the easy way with MTS to the weekend’s ballgames.
For a full list of game day service information visit the MTS Padres vs. Rangers page.
Fourth of July Transit Tips
Friends Ride Free Promotion: Invite a friend to ride with you! All fare paying transit riders will be able to have a transit partner ride with them free of charge during Fourth of July on all MTS bus routes and Trolley lines. Limited to one guest per fare-paying customer.
Get Your Fare Early: To avoid long ticket lines pre- and post-event, eventgoers should download the PRONTO app in advance. Load at least $5 on your virtual card, which covers a round-trip fare for adult riders. All riders must tap or scan at station pass validators to activate their pass prior to boarding.
Contactless Payment: Spectators now have the option to simply tap a credit card or other contactless payment options, such as a smartphone or smartwatch, on a station validator to pay for a one-way ride ($2.50, valid for two hours). This allows attendees to bypass the ticket vending machine and speed up wait times.
Every person needs their own payment option; fans cannot buy fares for multiple people on the same account, card or payment method.
Youth Ride Free: All youth 5 years old and under ride free all day any day. No pass required. Kids ages 6 to 18 can ride MTS free with the Youth Opportunity Pass program (must have a valid Youth PRONTO card).
Free Parking Options: Riders can park at one of MTS’ free parking at transit stations throughout the Trolley system. Information on all Park & Ride lots can be found on the MTS website.
Free Coronado Shuttle: The City of Coronado will also have its free summer shuttle available for those that wish to enjoy the holiday on the island.
In observance of Fourth of July, MTS will be running Sunday service on most bus routes. For complete service details, please visit the MTS service changes page. The MTS Information and Trip Planning Office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MTS Administrative Offices, the MTS Transit Store, Customer Service, and PRONTO Support will be closed in observance of the holiday and will reopen for regular hours Monday, July 7.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 92 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 238,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2024, MTS served more than 75 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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