The Blue Line Trolley has the most riders of any light rail in the country, serving an average of over 75,000 people a day. To keep up with demand and offer a better user experience over the years, SANDAG and MTS have worked to improve the Trolley’s infrastructure and increased service to every 7.5 minutes during peak hours (in South County). Yet, even still, the Blue Line can get packed and riding it takes a lot longer than driving the same route without traffic.
That’s why we’re exploring how to make transit trips on this route faster, more convenient, and less crowded.
Downtown to Border Rail Study
Now through 2027, we are exploring what short-term improvements could be made to the Blue Line Trolley to speed up trips, improve safety, and move more people at a time from San Ysidro to (and through) Downtown San Diego.
Options could include optimizing traffic signals, adding extra cars to the Trolley, moving the tracks above or below ground, adding an express track to allow some Trolley trips to go faster with limited stops, and more.
We’re also studying whether extending Amtrak and COASTER service to San Ysidro would make sense long-term and how this would complement Blue Line service and support intercity travel.
Once the project team identifies what it would take to accomplish these improvements (due to cost, what kinds of infrastructure they’ll need, and much more), we will share these options with the public to gather input and guide final recommendations.
Blue Line Transit-Oriented Development Study
We’ve heard from communities in South County that they need safer and more efficient ways to connect to transit stops and popular community areas, including upgrades to walkways and bike lanes.
One way we’re working on this is through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). TOD is a way of planning neighborhoods where common destinations—like housing, shops, and recreational spaces —are built near public transportation. The Palomar Street and San Ysidro Transit Centers are two of the busiest stations on the Blue Line, so TOD would help these areas better serve their communities.
We’re planning ways to make these areas more walkable, bikeable, and useful for the community, including through this study by researching and recommending opportunities for future development.
The Blue Line TOD Study examines how new housing, retail, and community spaces can be integrated around key Blue Line stations to support regional housing goals, improve transit access, and promote healthier, more connected communities.
