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Most major cities have famous systems of transportation. London has the “Tube”, Tokyo has the Shinkansen, and San Diego has the San Diego Trolley. The San Diego Trolley is famous for many things, in particular, it is the 6th most-ridden light rail system in the country, and is ranked the same in terms of age; it is the 6th oldest system in the country as well.
The trolley was planned to serve as the light-rail service that would go along the main line of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. The planning began in 1966, during which time San Diego Transit, the local bus company, was facing financial problems. However, it took almost 10 years before any major progress was made, because many were debating about the best solution possible, from the restoration of the classic streetcar system of 1949, to express bus systems on freeways.
Many of the alternatives were eventually found to be very expensive, and most failed to meet certain requirements made by the Metropolitan Transit Development Board, which included the following: a long corridor that allows for high-speed operation, at-grade construction which gives the system mostly right-of-way, low capital costs, and low operating deficits. To many, the only answer was a ‘light rail vehicle’, and thus, the idea of the San Diego Trolley was born.
A setback came in the form of Tropical Storm Kathleen, which damaged parts of the lines that were intended to be used by the new system. After some adjustments were made, other various transactions, construction of the San Diego Trolley began. It took a while, and a number of increments to finish, but eventually, the Trolley started service on July 26, 1981.
The San Diego Trolley, in its early days, travelled from San Ysidro, stopping at National City and Chula Vista, and ending in Downtown San Diego. 5 years later, in 1986, an extension from Centre City San Diego to Euclid Avenue was opened. Further service was extended in increments, going to El Cajon in 1989, Santee in 1995, Old Town in 1996, and to Mission Valley twice, first in 1997, and next in 2005.
Today, the lines of the San Diego Trolley are classified into colors. The Blue Line travels between San Ysidro and Old Town, with multiple stops and connections to other Trolley lines. The Orange Line goes from Centre City San Diego to El Cajon, with the Green Line, the newest in the system, traveling between Old Town and Santee.
Many of the stops along these lines connect to the other colors, allowing for convenient travel should the passenger decide to go elsewhere. Also, there are special event lines that allows special trains to operate during special events, such as sporting events in PETCO Park and Qualcomm Stadium.
The San Diego Trolley is one of the most convenient, and most experience-rich ways to travel through the city of San Diego. Visitors are highly encouraged to use the Trolley, to experience San Diego from a whole new perspective.
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