Trolley ridership jumps with extended Blue Line

Trolley ridership increased sharply with the opening of the new UC San Diego Blue Line extension between Old Town and La Jolla on Sunday, according to officials.

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System recorded more than 85,000 trips taken on its entire trolley network, up from 49,000 trips the previous Sunday.

That included more than 60,000 trips on the UC San Diego Blue Line, which now runs between San Ysidro at the U.S.-Mexico border and University City. Trolley rides were free on Sunday.

“When we began this project, we knew it would be a game-changer for our region. This line had been under construction for five years, and the excitement and anticipation we all had at MTS was equally matched by the community,” MTS CEO Sharon Cooney said in a statement. “The new Trolley extension expanded our system by 20 percent and is already opening opportunities to connect thousands of community members to health care, education and new jobs.”

The 11-mile extension includes nine new stations servicing La Jolla, UC San Diego, Mission Bay Park, Pacific Beach and Clairemont. Stops include Westfield UTC and the VA Medical Center.

MTS estimates about 24,000 trips were taken on Sunday from the new stops.

The transit expansion also included six new bus routes, with connections between beach areas and the Old Town station and the new Balboa transit center.

Before the opening on Sunday, MTS transit ridership was about 65 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Transit officials hope the new momentum will continue to draw people back onto trolleys and buses.

Elected officials hope the trolley extension will help the city make good on a longstanding pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by getting people to drive less in favor of using public transit.

Officials have yet to disclose any data on progress toward goals, which calls for roughly half of all commuters to walk, bike or ride public transit by 2035. However, that figure stands at nearly 14 percent, according to SANDAG.