All Aboard: Trolley’s Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line is ready to ride

The San Diego Trolley on the extended UC San Diego Blue Line

The extended Trolley line now gives a “one-seat ride” from the U.S.-Mexico border to the UC San Diego community. | Photo via SANDAG

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All aboard. 🚝

After five years of construction, the Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley opens for service on Sun., Nov. 21. Here’s everything you need to know about the project + how to take a ride.

According to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension is one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in our city’s history.

What does it do?

🚊 Extends the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley service by 11 miles.
🚊 Provides a “one-seat ride” from the U.S.-Mexico border to the UC San Diego community.
🚊 Adds nine new Trolley stations, each serving busy educational, medical, and employment hubs. Here’s a map of the stations.
🚊 The project is part of SANDAG’s mission to create transportation solutions for San Diego that are faster, fairer, and cleaner.

The San Diego trolley on the new extended line

The extension adds 11 miles to the Trolley’s UC San Diego Blue Line | Photo via SANDAG

How’s it funded?

Funding for this $2.17 billion project was included in the TransNet measure, a local, half-cent tax hike that supports transportation projects, was approved by voters in 1988 + was extended in 2004 for another 40 years.

How can we ride?

On Sun., Nov. 21, a free community event will celebrate the extended line’s official first day of service. The party is from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at UC San Diego’s Warren Field.

You can get there by — you guessed itriding the Blue Line Trolley and hopping off at the UC San Diego Central Campus Trolley Station. Pro tip: Trolley rides will be free all day on Nov. 21, across all three lines.

After that, ride the Mid-Coast Extension anytime, knowing you can now drop into these new stations:

  • Tecolote Road
  • Clairemont Drive
  • Balboa Avenue
  • Nobel Drive
  • VA Medical Center
  • UC San Diego Central Campus
  • UC San Diego Health La Jolla
  • Executive Drive
  • UTC Transit Center