Transportation in San Diego County facts for kids
Have you ever wondered how people get around in San Diego County, California? This article will tell you all about the different ways to travel there, from trains and buses to bikes and even planes! San Diego County has many ways for people to move around, whether they are going to school, work, or just exploring.
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| Transportation in Greater San Diego | |
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| Local Rail | |
| San Diego Trolley | |
| COASTER | |
| SPRINTER | |
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| Connecting Rail | |
| Metrolink | |
| Pacific Surfliner | |
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| Airports | |
| San Diego International Airport | |
| McClellan-Palomar Airport | |
| Tijuana International Airport |
Contents
Train Services in San Diego County
Trains are a popular way to travel in San Diego County. There are different types of train services for local trips and longer journeys.
Local Trains
These trains help people travel within San Diego County.
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a special kind of train called a light rail. It serves many parts of San Diego, including the city center, East County, and South County, all the way to the border. It's a great way to get around without a car.
COASTER Commuter Train
The San Diego Coast Express Rail, also known as COASTER, is a train that helps people travel to and from work or school. It runs for 41 miles and connects the North County area to downtown San Diego. The COASTER stops at eight stations between Oceanside and downtown San Diego.
SPRINTER Hybrid Train
The SPRINTER is a 22-mile train line that connects Oceanside and Escondido, California. It stops at 15 stations along the way, including cities like Vista and San Marcos. The SPRINTER trains are made in Germany and are a type of diesel multiple unit, which means each car has its own engine.
Regional Trains
These trains connect San Diego to other cities in Southern California.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner is a long-distance passenger train. It travels 350 miles (563 km) along the coast of Southern California. You can take it from San Diego all the way to San Luis Obispo, with stops in big cities like Los Angeles.
Metrolink
Metrolink is a network of commuter trains that connects many major cities in Southern California. While it doesn't go directly into central San Diego, you can connect to it from Oceanside. From Oceanside, you can travel to places like Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Riverside.
Bus Services
Buses are another important way to get around San Diego County. Two main companies operate bus services: MTS and NCTD.
Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) provides public transportation for central, south, and east San Diego County. MTS operates many bus routes. They also run the San Diego Trolley. MTS also offers a special service called MTS Access. This service helps people with disabilities travel by providing rides upon request.
North County Transit District (NCTD)
The North County Transit District's (NCTD) bus service is called "BREEZE." It operates 34 bus routes in the northern part of San Diego County. These routes cover areas from Del Mar to Escondido and Ramona, and even connect to Orange County and Riverside County.
You can often use the same bus passes and transfers for both MTS and NCTD buses, as well as the San Diego Trolley. However, using the COASTER train might require a different ticket or an upgrade.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
MTS and NCTD also have special bus lines called bus rapid transit (BRT). These buses are designed to be faster than regular buses. For example, Breeze Rapid in Escondido and SuperLoop in University City have special features like traffic signal priority. This means the traffic lights can change to green for the bus, helping it move faster. MTS also launched MTS Rapid services along the I-15 highway corridor, connecting areas like San Diego State University and Otay Mesa to downtown San Diego.
Roads and Highways
San Diego County has a huge network of roads and highways. These roads allow cars and bicyclists to easily reach almost any place in the county. Many large freeways were built and expanded to help people travel from the suburbs to the city.
San Diego is where three major interstate highways begin or end:
- Interstate 5 starts at the U.S.-Mexico border and goes north towards Los Angeles.
- Interstate 8 begins near Ocean Beach and heads east towards the Imperial Valley and Arizona.
- Interstate 15 starts as State Route 15 near the 32nd Street Naval Station. It becomes a full interstate highway at Interstate 8 in Mission Valley, then heads northeast towards the Inland Empire and Las Vegas.
Bikeways
San Diego County also has many places for people to ride bikes safely. These are called bikeways:
- Class 1 bike paths are separate from roads, like trails just for bikes.
- Class 2 bike lanes are special marked areas on the side of roads, mainly for bikes.
- Class 3 bike routes are regular streets that are good for bicyclists.
Every year, an organization called SANDAG publishes a map showing all these bikeways. You can usually find these maps at local bike shops.
Air Travel Services
San Diego International Airport is the only airport in San Diego County that offers regular flights for people. Another airport, McClellan–Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, used to have commercial flights but no longer does.
San Diego International Airport is very busy. It has only one runway, but it handles about 600 planes taking off and landing every day. Over 55,000 passengers travel through it daily, and more than 24 million passengers use it each year!
Because it's so busy and doesn't have a lot of space, people have talked about building another airport or moving this one.
Since 2015, there's been a special way to access Tijuana International Airport from San Diego. It's called the Cross Border Xpress terminal in Otay Mesa. Passengers can walk across the U.S.–Mexico border on a footbridge to catch flights from the Mexican side. This is the only airport in the world with terminals in two different countries!
Ferry Services
Ferries are boats that carry people across the water. The Coronado Commuter Ferry takes people across San Diego Bay. It travels between the Broadway Pier, San Diego and the Coronado Ferry Landing. This is a great way for people who live in Coronado to get to San Diego for work or school. Other ferry shuttles also operate between these locations.
Pronto Smart Card
PRONTO is a special electronic card system used to pay for rides on public transportation in San Diego County. It's like a reloadable card that you can tap to pay for your fare. You can also use a mobile app. PRONTO cards work on MTS buses, the San Diego Trolley, North County Buses, the Coaster, and the Sprinter trains. It makes paying for your ride easy and convenient!
Taxis
Many taxi companies operate in the San Diego area. Taxis charge a fee for each mile you travel, and there's an extra charge if you get picked up from an airport. There are also apps, like RideYellow, that offer discounts on taxi rides to compete with other ride-sharing services.
See also
In Spanish: Transporte del condado de San Diego para niños
