With more than 135,000 people expected to attend Comic-Con International this week, regional transit agencies Tuesday urged fans to skip the traffic and take advantage of expanded public transportation options.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and North County Transit - San Diego Railroad announced boosted service and discounted multi-day passes to accommodate the surge of Comic-Con attendees.
"Public transit is hands-down the best way to get to Comic-Con," said Stephen Whitburn, MTS Board Chair and San Diego City Councilman for the downtown area. "With expanded service, discounted transit passes for Comic- Con, and direct drop-off just steps from the Convention Center, MTS offers a smooth, stress-free ride into the heart of the action."
Comic-Con PRONTO passes are available on the app, with MTS offering discounted two-, three-, four-, and five-day options starting at just $10. Additionally, riders coming from North County can take advantage of the COASTER 5-Pack, which offers five days of rides for the price of three — a 40% discount valid for a full month from purchase, an NCTD statement read.
"The last thing that Comic-Con attendees need to worry about when coming to this world-class event is navigating through traffic and hunting for parking spaces," said NCTD Board Chair and Carlsbad Mayor Pro Tempore Priya Bhat-Patel. "Let NCTD be your driver — show off your costume and pose for pictures with other Comic-Con fans on the COASTER."
To meet the surge in demand, MTS leaders said they will increase service across the network, with trolleys running every 15 minutes or better and late-night departures through the busiest days of the convention.
Key stations near the convention include:
— Convention Center Station: Served by Green Line and Special Event Line;
— Gaslamp Quarter Station: Served by Green Line and Special Event Line; and
— 12th & Imperial Station: Served by Green Line, Orange Line, UC San Diego Blue Line, and Special Event Line.
Riders can see the full schedule, service information and maps on the MTS Comic-Con webpage at
https://www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/comic-con.
