There were bands, performers, the UCSD cheerleaders – some of whom literally went head over heels – and very crowded trolley trains to celebrate the opening of the new San Diego trolley extension’s “La Jolla line.”
The party was at the next-to-last stop on the new 11-mile blue line extension at San Diego State’s Warren Field. The trolley cars were packed to standing-room-only capacity and were so full that many people had to wait on the next trolley.
Fortunately, they ran about every 10 minutes instead of the normal 20.
There was free food (yep, hot dogs), sodas, water and trolley freebies. I picked up a squirt bottle.
Overall it was a festive atmosphere and proved to be a good introduction to this new line, which now goes from the Mexican border to the western edge of the UCSD campus. So the week-long PR push paid off and the event was a huge success with thousands of people enjoying the festivities all day long, which ran from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The extension is a joint effort between the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
The line’s main shortcoming is that all but two – UCSD and the VA medical building – are east of the 5 freeway. This is especially irritating at Mission Bay’s Tecolote Road because the only way to get to the bay is to cross a busy freeway ramp either by foot or bike. On the plus side, there is walking space on the bridge and narrow bike lanes. But still, why did they not just put the station on the other side?
The same is true in Pacific Beach, tho there are two buses that go to PB and one that rolls on along Mission Blvd., to the rollercoaster in Mission Beach.
But that was all not of anyone’s concern – except for me, because I did what Baja 1000 racers to and “pre-ran” the route for future knowledge – on a festive Sunday afternoon.
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