MTS Enhancing Service for Gaslamp Quarter Mardi Gras Celebration

San Diego – It’s that time of year again to “laissez les bon temps rouler” or let the good times roll!  More than 40,000 revelers are expected to attend Gaslamp Quarter Mardi Gras on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 5 p.m. to midnight and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is enhancing service and adding late night trains from downtown to accommodate the large crowds.

Both Mardi Gras entrances are located steps away from Trolley stations making it a quick and easy way to get to the festivities.  The Trolley’s Gaslamp Quarter Station is served by the Green Line and drops off passengers one block away from the L Street entrance. The Trolley’s Fifth Avenue Station is served by the Blue and Orange Lines and drops off passengers a block away from the entrance on Broadway. 

After the festivities conclude, the last trains departing downtown are as follows:

Green Line to Santee departs Gaslamp Quarter Station at 12:38 a.m.
Blue Line to San Ysidro departs Fifth Avenue Station at 12:22 a.m.
Orange Line to El Cajon departs Fifth Avenue Station at 12:25 a.m.

During the event the Green Line will operate on a 30-minute service schedule. Beginning at 10:38 p.m. a 15-minute service schedule will continue through 12:08 a.m. with one final "sweeper" train departing 12th & Imperial at 12:38 a.m. The Blue and Orange Lines will operate on a 30-minute service schedule during and after the festivities conclude with final “sweeper” trains departing at 12:22 a.m. and 12:25 a.m. respectively.

Attendees also have a host of options to park free at Trolley stations and ride into downtown. Additionally, Qualcomm Stadium has 5,000 free parking spots. Here’s how party-goers can get to Mardi Gras on the Trolley:

From South Bay, Chula Vista or National City: take northbound Blue Line to Fifth Avenue Station

From El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Encanto, East San Diego: take westbound Orange Line to Fifth Avenue Station

From SDSU, Qualcomm Stadium, Mission Valley, Old Town: take westbound Green Line to Gaslamp Quarter Station

MTS Bus routes serving downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter will continue to operate throughout the event, but due to anticipated high volume traffic in the downtown area, all downtown buses are subject to significant delays.  To limit delays and ease bus traffic flow between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., routes 2, 7, 11, 30, 50, 110, 150, 901, and Rapid routes 215 and 235 will not serve Broadway stops west of 8th Avenue. As a courtesy, MTS will provide special shuttle service along Broadway to carry customers to their desired bus (on Broadway at 7th and 8th avenues for eastbound service, and at Broadway at 1st Avenue

for westbound service). These shuttles will run continuously during the hours of 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Further information on route detours is available on the MTS website www.sdmts.com or by dialing 5-1-1.

MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday more than 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services. For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.

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