It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s lots and lots of public transportation for Comic-Con.
With San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 taking over downtown San Diego this week, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) will increase service on all trolley lines and some bus routes Wednesday through Sunday so attendees can get in and out of the pop culture convention at superhero speed.
In anticipation of large crowds, MTS says the Green, Orange and UC San Diego Blue trolley lines will depart all stations every 15 minutes. During peak travel times, train frequency will increase to 7.5 minutes on the Green and UC San Diego Blue lines. Each day during Comic-Con, the last trolley will depart downtown San Diego just after midnight.
If you’re riding the trolley to Comic-Con at the San Diego Convention Center, MTS says the Green Line’s Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter Trolley Stations provide the most direct access to the heart of the Comic-Con action.
Meanwhile, trolley stations with ample free parking spots include:
• Qualcomm Stadium (Green Line): 5,000 free parking spots
• Palm Avenue Station (UC San Diego Blue Line): 499 free parking spots
• El Cajon Transit Center (Green/Orange lines): 469 free parking spots
• Old Town Transit Center (Green Line): 412 free parking spots
• Bayfront/E Street Station (UC San Diego Blue Line): 267 free parking spots
• Massachusetts Avenue Station (Orange Line): 241 free parking spots
Full details on MTS’ expanded service during Comic-Con can be seen here.
Local
MTS says the Rapid 215 and 235 bus routes are also good options for getting to the San Diego Convention Center. Rapid 215 operates daily, every 10 to 15 minutes, from San Diego State University to downtown San Diego. Rapid 235 operates daily, every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends, from Escondido to downtown San Diego.
In addition to expanded service, MTS also plans to offer mobile ticketing on all trolley lines and Rapid 215 and 235 so passengers can buy and save transit passes on their smartphones. This “mTicket” option can also save Comic-Con attendees time during the busy weekend, according to MTS.
Mobile tickets for one, two, three, four or five days are available for $5.50, $10, $13, $16 and $20, respectively. Click here for more info on mTickets.
Finally, fanboys and fangirls who enjoy a good keepsake may find this fun: MTS says it has printed a limited quantity of commemorative Comic-Con day passes for those using two-day to five-day trolley or bus passes.
These passes can be purchased at select ticket booths or at the MTS Transit Store at the 12th & Imperial Transit Center.
