General Reports

[MongerHunger]

Come on guys!! Pay for your bus / trolley ticket or use a Pronto Card. Don't you think it's worth not receiving a violation from the transit authorities? Why quibble over a $5 round-trip fare to the border and back or who is checking tickets or not? If they don't check your Pronto Card the balance amount will remain on your card for future use. Some of you pay that or more just to get from the border to Zona Norte. Is it really that serious? Just pay the $5.

[Lefeu]

First post over on this board. For those who have been to both Tijuana and Medellin, would you provide a quick pros and cons of each, things you preferred over the other. For context I am new to the hobby with a few CR trips under my belt, looking to explore more. Thanks for any input.

This question has been asked, and answered, several times over the past couple of years. Just do a search.

[Kbdb2488]

First post over on this board. For those who have been to both Tijuana and Medellin, would you provide a quick pros and cons of each, things you preferred over the other. For context I am new to the hobby with a few CR trips under my belt, looking to explore more. Thanks for any input.

[BrotherMouzone]

Both times I used the free San Diego Old Town Flyer between the airport and the trolly. Bus 992 may be a bit faster and save some trolly stops but I was being cheap and did not want to pay the $2.25 for the bus plus the trolly fare. LOL $3. 50 together to get to the border is 1 1/2 hours is very cheap.

My understanding is if you have the PRONTO card, the transfer from the bus to the trolley is free (you still have to scan when you get to the trolley so you can be tracked in the system as having valid fare but you won't get charged if you transfer within a 2 hour period). So you're not saving money I don't think by going the Flyer route unless you're paying by cash (in which case you can't get the free transfer from bus to trolley so it's cheaper to take the Flyer).

[WonderWhy]

I rode both ways from SAN to San Ysidro. I did not purchase a ticket for the ride down and was not checked. I did purchase a ticket on the way back to the airport and though two security people got of the train around the naval yard they did not check any ones tickets. I asked them some questions and they were very helpful.

Both times I used the free San Diego Old Town Flyer between the airport and the trolly. Bus 992 may be a bit faster and save some trolly stops but I was being cheap and did not want to pay the $2.25 for the bus plus the trolly fare. LOL $3. 50 together to get to the border is 1 1/2 hours is very cheap.

I have not felt any concern on the trolly during the days. Late at night it might get a bit skechy.

[Rambo1969]

https://www.sdmts.com/inside-mts/med...irport-transit

Article above says they were giving free bus rides from the airport over the summer. Am guessing this is what you're referring to. But that was an exception to the norm, you'll pretty much always have to pay for MTS bus rides, other than I think there's one day a year where MTS offers all bus and trolley transportation for free.

My experience has been almost half the time tickets get checked on the trolley. I think they do it to keep homeless out too so more ticket checks in the downtown to a few miles south area.

Fewer checks north of American Plaza.

I am impressed at how much they enforce it on trolleys.

No enforcement needed on the bus because the driver does it.

The MTS does offer a free ride on an electric van every 20 minutes from airport to Old town: https://www.san.org/to-from/Public-Transportation#1178347-old-town-shuttle.

[BrotherMouzone]

Yes its always been the 992 bus for me and I get off at plaza america to catch the trolley. It was earlier this year when I didn't have to pay, The bus driver told me it was free from the airport only so who knows. I had to pay from the airport last time in October.

https://www.sdmts.com/inside-mts/med...irport-transit

Article above says they were giving free bus rides from the airport over the summer. Am guessing this is what you're referring to. But that was an exception to the norm, you'll pretty much always have to pay for MTS bus rides, other than I think there's one day a year where MTS offers all bus and trolley transportation for free.

[Bocephious]

I have gotten ticket checks in the evenings. But it seems that security uses the opportunity to boot the troublemaking homeless folks off. I am pretty sure they have a list of repeated offenders.

Been ticket checked on the Trolley a bunch of times, never had a situation where I was worried about paying the fare. Have had the app crash at least twice when the officer came up to check, both times they just walked off and checked the other passengers' tickets. Almost every time I have seen the fare check there has been someone on the trolley that was causing problems, I think they use the fare check as an easy way to get problem people off. I will say I do like the new system a lot better than the old one. I always take the trolley from San Ysidro into downtown and then often transfer to a bus to get where I am going for the day. With the new system you never have to worry about buying a day pass or just using a bunch of single fares with TXFR. I know it is only a couple of bucks a day, it was always more of that quiet disappointment when I would make the wrong choice on that first ride of the day.

[Anthony2023]

Yes its always been the 992 bus for me and I get off at plaza america to catch the trolley. It was earlier this year when I didn't have to pay, The bus driver told me it was free from the airport only so who knows. I had to pay from the airport last time in October.

[BrotherMouzone]

I'm confused is the airport bus free to the trolley or not. Last time I was asked to pay. The time before that I was told it was free at the airport.

There's a shuttle bus specifically operated by San Diego's airport that offers FREE service from the airport to the Old Town trolley station. From there you can catch the Blue Line trolley to San Ysidro without having to transfer. You do have to pay $2. 50 for the trolley.

Alternatively, you can catch the regular San Diego MTS bus (bus number 992 or something like that) into downtown San Diego where you can transfer from the bus to one of the Blue Line trolley stations, depending on where you get off (American Plaza or City College I think. Both also Blue Line stops). The initial bus fare is $2. 50 but the transfer to the trolley is free if you're using the Pronto card.

The Flyer shuttle and MTS bus stops are in the same general area, but are in different locations.

I pretty much always go the MTS bus route because it puts you a bit closer to San Ysidro and you end up paying the $2. 50 one-way fare either way. The Old Town bus stop is several stops further away than the stops the MTS 992 bus takes you to in downtown San Diego.

A final route to consider if you really know your way around is to take the free rental car shuttle to the rental car terminal, which is within walking distance from the Middletown trolley station (might also be a free shuttle that goes there). From there take the Blue Line to San Ysidro. Also not an optimal route since it's further from San Ysidro than the downtown SD trolley stops. It's only the best route if you're already at the rental car terminal dropping off a rental car.

As far as free bus rides, there was a several week period last year when San Diego was converting from their old Compass card to the current PRONTO one where all bus and trolley rides were free. So maybe you're referring to that I don't know. Or maybe the person who told you that was referring to the free shuttle to Old Town.

[LuvMexicanas]

I'll make it real simple for the uninitiated. You pay once and get a two-hour transfer window. Get the Pronto app. I pull up the app on my phone, scan when I get on the 992 bus at the airport and simply get on the trolley at American Plaza station knowing that I'll exit at the San Ysidro station well before my two hour transfer window is up. It's so fuckin easy a caveman could do it.

[Anthony2023]

I rode the trolly from the airport down on Wednesday afternoon. Caught the san Diego flyer free bus to the trolly station.

I'm confused is the airport bus free to the trolley or not. Last time I was asked to pay. The time before that I was told it was free at the airport.

[WonderWhy]

I rode the trolly from the airport down on Wednesday afternoon. Caught the san Diego flyer free bus to the trolly station. The driver let me off before the trolly stop because he said he had to pee so I had quite a ways to walk. I arrived at the station just as the trolly was arriving. I looked for a familiar machine to purchase a ticket from and there seemed to be only new "cruiser" ones. I finally gave up and jumped on the trolly. I made it to San Ysidro without being checked but worried the whole way. I got on the trolly at 2:30 pm. Flight arrived at 2:00 and I as across the border by 3:45.

[Jackie888]

The trolley security makes ticket checks at random times. Often times they will be on the trolley and not check tickets. I get the impression that they check tickets more often in the afternoon.

I have gotten ticket checks in the evenings. But it seems that security uses the opportunity to boot the troublemaking homeless folks off. I am pretty sure they have a list of repeated offenders.

[Dogers69]

The trolley security makes ticket checks at random times. Often times they will be on the trolley and not check tickets. I get the impression that they check tickets more often in the afternoon.

Around covid they mostly stopped staying on the moving trolley. It was reduced by 90%. Before covid the fine was a few hundred dollars. It was a big ordeal to see if you could reduce it by showing previous ticket purchases. I never got one but I bought a ticket 99% of the time. Now? Like others said they just gonna make you get off they sorta changed the policy I think you can still get a ticket but it's not as serious and much less money. Just buy disabled person ticket and they won't ask for ID to prove your disabled even if they do say you left it home so now it's just 1.25 cents.