The Blue Line is one of three primary and five overall light rail

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

 lines operated by the San Diego Trolley

San Diego Trolley

The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...

, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

San Diego Metropolitan Transit System

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is the public transit service provider for Central, South, Northeast and Southeast San Diego County, in the United States. MTS operating subsidiaries include the San Diego Trolley, Incorporated , and San Diego Transit Corporation...

. It currently operates between San Ysidro and Old Town in San Diego.

Other Trolley lines in the system include the regular service Orange and Green lines and supplementary Silver

Silver Line (San Diego Trolley)

The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...

and Special Event

Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley)

The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...

lines.

History

The initial line in the San Diego Trolley system, the Blue Line first opened between Centre City San Diego and San Ysidro in 1981, at a spartan cost of $86 million. In 1986, the line was named the South Line to differentiate it from the new East Line to Euclid Avenue. It was renamed the North-South Line when the Old Town extension opened in 1996. The North-South Line was renamed the Blue Line in 1997, with the opening of the extension to Mission San Diego.

With the introduction of the Green Line on July 10, 2005, most Blue Line service between Old Town and Qualcomm stadium was discontinued, save for a few select rush hour trains. On September 3, 2006, the Qualcomm service Blue line trains were discontinued entirely, due to duplication of service with Green Line service. All Blue Line trains then terminated at the Old Town Transit Center.

Blue Line service also experienced some change in the stations served. The Bayfront/E Street station in Chula Vista opened in 1985, about four years after service already operated along the tracks served. At the same time, the Centre City station on C Street, between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue, was renamed the Fifth Avenue Station. The Fenton Parkway stop opened in 2000; however, it is now only served by the Green Line.

Stops along the Blue Line

Blue Line (San Ysidro–Old Town)
Station Name	Connections	Bus	Train	Parking	Info	Notes
Old Town Transit Center Old Town Transit Center The Old Town Transit Center is an intermodal transportation station located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California.-History:The Old Town Transit Center was built in the early 1990s, and the San Diego Trolley was extended here in 1996. In 1997 the Blue Line was extended into Mission...	Green Line Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Serves Old Town Historic Park Old Town San Diego State Historic Park Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. It commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was... . Transfer station for Green Line.
Washington Street Washington Street (San Diego Trolley station) Washington Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in an industrial corridor along the edge of San Diego International Airport...	Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
Middletown Middletown (San Diego Trolley station) Middletown is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in a narrow strip of land between San Diego International Airport and Interstate 5. The also serves crowded residential area in the Middletown neighborhood, which includes a variety of medium density housing within...	Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
County Center/Little Italy County Center/Little Italy (San Diego Trolley station) County Center/Little Italy is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Little Italy neighborhood of the city, which includes a variety of medium and high density housing within blocks of the station. Besides the popular residential area, San Diego's government...	Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
Santa Fe Depot Union Station (San Diego) Union Station in San Diego, California, also known as the Santa Fe Depot, is a train station built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the small Victorian-style structure erected in 1887 for the California Southern Railroad Company. The Spanish Colonial Revival style station is...	Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Transfer station for Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System... .
America Plaza America Plaza (San Diego Trolley station) America Plaza is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Downtown Core of the city and is directly connected to One America Plaza, the city's tallest building....   (Temporarily relocated between State and Columbia)	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Transfer station for Orange Line.
Civic Center Civic Center (San Diego Trolley station) Civic Center is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Downtown Core of the city and is surrounded by a variety of important office buildings. It is also the main stop for Westfield Horton Plaza, a major shopping mall....	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Serves City Hall, Westfield Horton Plaza Westfield Horton Plaza Horton Plaza, officially Westfield Horton Plaza, is a five level outdoor shopping mall located in downtown San Diego and remarkable for its bright colors, architectural tricks and odd spatial rhythms. It stands on six and a half city blocks and is adjacent to the city's historic Gaslamp Quarter. ... .
Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue (San Diego Trolley station) Fifth Avenue is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Downtown Core of the city and is surrounded by a variety of important office buildings....	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
City College City College (San Diego Trolley station) City College is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the East Village neighborhood of the city and serves students at San Diego City College and San Diego High School, workers at the warehouse facilities located on the outskirts of Downtown, and an...	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Serves San Diego City College San Diego City College San Diego City College is a public, two-year community college located in San Diego, California. City College is part of the San Diego Community College District along with San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College and San Diego Continuing Education... , San Diego High School San Diego High School San Diego High School is an urban public educational complex comprising six small schools located on the southern edge of Balboa Park, in San Diego, California. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. It is the oldest high school in the San Diego Unified School District and one of the... .
Park & Market Park & Market (San Diego Trolley station) Park & Market is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the East Village neighborhood of the city and serves the high density residential developments that surround the stop....	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...
12th & Imperial Transit Center	Orange Line Silver Line Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System... Special Event Line Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...					Serves Petco Park PETCO Park Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers... . Transfer station for Orange, Silver Silver Line (San Diego Trolley) The Silver Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System... , and Special Event Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) The Special Event Service Line is one of one of two supplementary and five overall light rail lines operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System...  Lines.
Barrio Logan Barrio Logan (San Diego Trolley station) Barrio Logan is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Logan Heights section of the city and serves the corresponding Hispanic neighborhood. The stop is located near Chicano Park, famous for its artwork and legacy of protests for minority rights....						Serves Chicano Park Chicano Park Chicano Park is a 32,000 square meter park located beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan, a predominantly Mexican American and Mexican-immigrant community in central San Diego, California... .
Harborside Harborside (San Diego Trolley station) Harborside is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Logan Heights section of the city and serves the corresponding Hispanic neighborhood and a nearby industrial area....
Pacific Fleet Pacific Fleet (San Diego Trolley station) Pacific Fleet is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located at the edge of Naval Base San Diego, an important US Naval station. The primary purpose of the stop is to provide civilian workers with transportation to the facility and military personnel with access to downtown....						Serves Naval Base.
8th Street 8th Street (San Diego Trolley station) 8th Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in National City, California. Surrounded by an industrial area, the primary focus of this station is to serve as a commuter lot, as it is easily accessible from Interstate 5....
24th Street 24th Street (San Diego Trolley station) 24th Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in National City, California. The stop serves both as a commuter center with a park and ride lot and to provide access to the dense nearby retail area....
Bayfront/E Street Bayfront/E Street (San Diego Trolley station) Bayfront/E Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in Chula Vista, California. The stop serves both as a commuter center with a park and ride lot and to provide access to the dense nearby retail area. It is the only infill station located along the Blue Line, as...
H Street H Street (San Diego Trolley station) H Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in Chula Vista, California. The stop serves both as a commuter center with a park and ride lot and to provide access to the dense nearby retail area and large residential area of single family homes....
Palomar Street Palomar Street (San Diego Trolley station) Palomar Street is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in Chula Vista, California. The stop serves a variety of purposes, holding the function of commuter center with a park and ride lot and providing access to the nearby commercial, industrial, and residential areas,...
Palm Avenue Palm Avenue (San Diego Trolley station) Palm Avenue is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in Palm City neighborhood of the city. The stop serves a variety of purposes, holding the function of commuter center with a park and ride lot and to provide access to the nearby commercial and residential areas....
Iris Avenue Iris Avenue (San Diego Trolley station) Iris Avenue is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in Otay Mesa West neighborhood of the city. The stop serves a variety of purposes, holding the function of commuter center with a park and ride lot and to provide access to the nearby commercial and residential areas....
Beyer Boulevard Beyer Boulevard (San Diego Trolley station) Beyer Blvd is a station of the Blue line on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in San Ysidro neighborhood of the city. The stop serves as a park and ride commuter center in addition to providing access to the surrounding residential areas....
San Ysidro Transit Center San Ysidro Transit Center San Ysidro Transit Center is a San Diego Trolley station on the Blue Line and the southern terminus for this line. The previous station northwest is Beyer Boulevard. South of this station is the San Ysidro international border. The station serves primarily as a way to provide access to downtown for...						Serves International Border.

Because of the sharing of the track with freight traffic, stations along the southern end are sparsely furnished and do not feature raised concrete platforms, as do those in the rest of the system.

Trolley Renewal Project

To accommodate the new Siemens S70 models to be usable on the line, the current stations will need to undergo renovation, although this will be done over a period of time to prevent the disruption of operation. The New LRVs are scheduled to begin operation on the Blue Line in 2013. Currently the America Plaza

America Plaza (San Diego Trolley station)

America Plaza is a station of the Blue and Orange lines on the San Diego Trolley. It is located in the Downtown Core of the city and is directly connected to One America Plaza, the city's tallest building....

 station is closed until late-December for these renovations, although a temporary station for America Plaza has been erected between Columbia and State streets to serve the area in the meantime.

Mid-Coast Trolley Expansion

The next major Trolley extension would be to expand the Blue Line north to UCSD and University Towne Centre

Westfield UTC

Westfield UTC, formerly University Towne Centre , is an open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California. It lies just east of La Jolla, near the University of California, San Diego campus...

 (UTC). MTS estimates the extension will be completed and ready for service in 2015. One aim of the extension is to ease parking on campus while providing direct light rail access to UTC, a popular shopping mall. The already existing "SuperLoop" BRT Shuttle will provide Rapid transit in and around the UTC area.

Future Extension Alignment

Station Name	Connections	Bus	Train	Parking	Info	Notes
University Town Center (Future Transit Center)						Will serve Westfield UTC Westfield UTC Westfield UTC, formerly University Towne Centre , is an open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California. It lies just east of La Jolla, near the University of California, San Diego campus... .
Executive Drive (Future Station)
UCSD East (Future Station)						Will serve University of California, San Diego University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States... .
UCSD West (Future Station)						Will serve University of California, San Diego University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States... .
VA Medical Center (Proposed Station)						Will serve UC San Diego School of Medicine UC San Diego School of Medicine University of California, San Diego School of Medicine is a medical school located in La Jolla, California, USA.The school held its first class in 1968 and conferred its first degrees in 1972. The school aggressively recruited leading physician scientists of its era and rapidly gained a reputation... .
Nobel Drive (Future Station)
Balboa Avenue (Future Station)
Clairemont Drive (Future Station)						Will serve Mission Bay.
Tecolote Road (Future Station)						Will serve SeaWorld SeaWorld San Diego SeaWorld San Diego is an animal theme park, oceanarium, and marine mammal park, located in San Diego, California, United States. The park is owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group.... .
Old Town Transit Center Old Town Transit Center The Old Town Transit Center is an intermodal transportation station located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California.-History:The Old Town Transit Center was built in the early 1990s, and the San Diego Trolley was extended here in 1996. In 1997 the Blue Line was extended into Mission...	Green Line					Serves Old Town Historic Park Old Town San Diego State Historic Park Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, located in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California, is a state protected historical park in San Diego. It commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the period 1820 to 1870. The park was... . Transfer station for Green Line.
Continues to San Ysidro.

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