With Comic-Con expected to draw over 200,000 attendees, Metropolitan Transit System and local law enforcement held a news conference Wednesday urging people to take public transportation to the convention and arrive early.

To accommodate the surge in traffic, MTS added a special event trolley line beginning Thursday with trains running every 15 minutes.

The special event line will operate between the Balboa Avenue Transit Center and 12th & Imperial Transit Center every 15 minutes through Saturday, July 23, starting at 6:55 a.m. and ending at 10:35 p.m. at Gaslamp Quarter Station.

On Sunday, July 23, the special event line will be available every 15 minutes from 6:55 a.m. until 7:05 p.m. This special event line will serve UC San Diego blue line stations between Balboa Avenue and Santa Fe Depot and then will continue along the green line path between Santa Fe Depot and 12th & Imperial, MTS said.

“Comic-Con is a great opportunity for San Diego to showcase why it is America’s Finest City and a big part of that showcase is our public transportation system,” said Stephen Whitburn, chair of MTS and city council member for District 3. “MTS is proud to be an important transit resource for thousands of attendees so that may enjoy themselves without having to worry about traffic or parking.”

MTS has three transit stations that will provide direct access to Comic-Con:

  • Convention Center — served by green line and special event line trolleys
  • Gaslamp Quarter — served by green line and special event line trolleys
  • 12th & Imperial —served by green line, orange line, UC San Diego blue line and special event line trolleys

Round-trip tickets are $5 and parking at park and ride sites is free, according to MTS.

Comic-Con transit passes will be available through the PRONTO fare system that can be accessed using the PRONTO app on an Apple or Android device. PRONTO cards will be available at ticket machines, but crowds may cause significant delays, MTS said.

For more information on getting to Comic-Con, go to: www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/comic-con.