Old Town Transit Center

Passenger train, light rail, and bus station in San Diego, California, United States

Old Town Transit Center
San Diego, CA

Green Line trolley approaching Old Town Transit Center in 2008

General information
Other names|

* San Diego–Old Town
* Old Town San Diego

Location| 4005 Taylor Street
San Diego, California
United States
Coordinates| 32°45′19″N 117°11′58″W﻿ / ﻿32.7552°N 117.1995°W﻿ / 32.7552; -117.1995
Owned by| San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
Line(s)| NCTD San Diego Subdivision[1]
Platforms| 2 side platforms (Amtrak/Coaster)
2 side platforms, 1 island platform (San Diego Trolley)
Tracks| 2 (Amtrak/Coaster)
2 (San Diego Trolley)
Train operators|

* Amtrak
* Coaster
* San Diego Trolley

Bus stands| 21[2]
Bus operators|

* MTS: 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88, 105
* (via ) San Diego Flyer shuttle
* University of San Diego shuttle
* UC San Diego Triton Transit: Hillcrest Express
* FlixBus

Construction
Parking| 412 spaces[3]
Accessible| Yes
Other information
Status| Unstaffed, platform with shelters
Station code| Amtrak: OLT
75042, 75043 (San Diego Trolley)[4]
Fare zone| 3 (Coaster)
History
Opened| 1994; 30 years ago (1994)[citation needed]
Passengers
FY 2023| 151,928[5] (Amtrak)
Services
| Preceding station  |  Amtrak | Following station

|
|

Solana Beach

toward San Luis Obispo

|  | Pacific Surfliner |  | San Diego

Terminus

Preceding station  | North County Transit District | Following station
Sorrento Valley

towards Oceanside

|  | COASTER |  | San Diego

Terminus

Preceding station  | San Diego Trolley | Following station
Tecolote Road

towards UTC

|  | Blue Line |  | Washington Street

towards San Ysidro

Tecolote Road

towards Balboa Avenue

|  | Special Event Line |  | Washington Street

towards 12th & Imperial

Morena/Linda Vista

towards El Cajon

|  | Green Line |

Former services

| Preceding station  | San Diego Trolley | Following station

|
|

Morena/Linda Vista

towards Santee

|  | Green Line

2005-2012

|  | Terminus
Terminus |  | Blue Line

2005-2012

|  | Washington Street

towards San Ysidro

Morena/Linda Vista

towards Mission San Diego

|  | Blue Line

1997-2005

Morena/Linda Vista

towards Qualcomm Stadium

|  | Special Event Line

pre-2012

|  | Washington Street

towards 12th & Imperial

Location

Old Town Transit Center, also known as San Diego–Old Town station, or Old Town San Diego station, is an intermodal transportation station in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego, California. It is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner, the COASTER commuter rail service, and the San Diego Trolley, as well as numerous San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus lines.

The station is located at the intersection of Rosecrans Street/Taylor Street and Pacific Highway, adjacent to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and the freeway intersection of Interstate 5 and Interstate 8. It is also located about two miles southeast of SeaWorld San Diego and Mission Bay, providing access to the northernmost beaches in the city of San Diego. Free parking (Park & Ride) for up to 24-hours is available in the Transit Center lots.

## History

[edit]

Old Town Transit Center was built in the early 1990s, and the San Diego Trolley's North/South Line was extended here on June 16, 1996.[citation needed] In November 1997, the line, renamed the Blue Line,[6] was extended into Mission Valley. When the Green Line service was introduced with the opening of the Mission Valley East extension on July 10, 2005,[7] the Blue Line's northern terminus was pushed back to this station, which also served as the Green Line's western terminus. During a system redesign on September 2, 2012, as part of the Trolley Renewal Project, MTS extended the western terminus of the Green Line from this station to 12th & Imperial Bayside Terminal and shortened the Blue Line's northern terminus to America Plaza. The Special Event Line was eliminated; and instead, the Green Line added cars and offer more frequent service to the San Diego Convention Center, Petco Park, Snapdragon Stadium, and Viejas Arena when necessary.[8]

As part of the Mid Coast Trolley Project, on November 21, 2021, the Blue Line returned to service the Old Town station. The Blue Line provides access to places such as the University of California, San Diego, Jacobs Medical Center, Westfield UTC, and the Mexico–United States border in San Ysidro.

## Service

[edit]

### Commuter and intercity rail

[edit]

The Old Town Transit Center hosts passenger trains operating on Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner intercity rail route and on the COASTER commuter rail service. Of the 22 weekday Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains operating in San Diego, 18 of them stop at the Old Town Transit Center,[9] though the Surfliner trains operating at Old Town do not offer checked luggage service, and stop at Old Town to board passengers (northbound trains) or detrain passengers (southbound trains) only, respectively.

Amtrak ridership at Old Town Transit Center has exploded between Fiscal Year 2011 and 2013. In Fiscal Year 2011, there were just 22,867 boardings and detrainings at Old Town[10] (which was a 5.79% increase over Fiscal Year 2010). In Fiscal Year 2012, boardings and detrainings at Old Town rose to 61,118, a 167% increase over FY2011.[11] As of Fiscal Year 2013, the Amtrak ridership figure has continued to rise, to 135,749 boardings and detrainings, a further 122% increase over FY2012. (There has been a corresponding decrease in Amtrak boardings at Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego over this same period, possibly indicating that some Amtrak boardings have been relocating from Santa Fe Depot to Old Town over the past two years.) Of the 74 California stations served by Amtrak, the Old Town Transit Center was the 25th-busiest in Fiscal Year 2013, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 372 passengers daily.[12]

### San Diego Trolley

[edit]

Old Town Transit Center is also a light rail station on the San Diego Trolley's Green Line. This station originally served as that line's terminus, until a system realignment in September 2012 extended the Green Line though Old Town to downtown San Diego.[8]

The Trolley's Mid-Coast extension that was completed in November 2021[13] extends to serve the University City area.[14]

### Bus service

[edit]

Old Town also operates as a bus transit center for San Diego Metropolitan Transit System's routes 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88, and 105.[15] There is an underground pedestrian tunnel linking bus terminals on both sides of the station with the trolley/train areas.

The station is also served by San Diego International Airport's San Diego Flyer shuttle which operates every 20 to 30 minutes between the Old Town Transit Center, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.[16] The station also sees service from UC San Diego's Triton Transit Hillcrest Express, which connects passengers with the UC San Diego Medical Center, Hillcrest,[17] University of San Diego shuttles,[18] and FlixBus intercity motorcoaches.[19]

## Station layout

[edit]

There are four tracks; two tracks are designated for the San Diego Trolley services, while the other two tracks are used for COASTER, Amtrak, and BNSF freight service.[20]

Bus bays | MTS Access,  San Diego Flyer shuttle, Hillcrest Express shuttle

|

Bus bays | Store, MTS bus routes 44, 83, 88 & 105
Side platform
Track 1
Northbound | ←  Blue Line toward UTC (Tecolote Road)
←  Green Line toward El Cajon (Morena/Linda Vista)
Island platform
Track 2
Southbound | → Blue Line toward San Ysidro (Washington Street) →
→ Green Line toward 12th & Imperial (Washington Street) →
Island platform
Track 3
Southbound |  Coaster toward San Diego (San Diego)→
Pacific Surfliner toward San Diego (San Diego) →
BNSF freight service →
Track 4
Northbound | ←  Coaster toward Oceanside (Sorrento Valley)
←  Pacific Surfliner toward San Luis Obispo (Solana Beach)
← BNSF freight service
Side platform
Bus bays | MTS bus routes 8, 9 & 28
Bus bays | MTS bus routes 30 & 35
Parking lot | Parking, bus bay for MTS bus route 10
Pacific Highway | Bus bay for  San Diego Flyer shuttle

## See also

[edit]

* California portal
* Trains portal

* List of San Diego Trolley stations

## References

[edit]

1. ^ SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 26.
2. ^ "Old Town Transit Center Modernization". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. September 5, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
3. ^ "UC San Diego Blue Line station list". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 22 May 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
4. ^ "Schedules & Real Time". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 14 May 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
5. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
6. ^ "MTS Historical Timeline". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
7. ^ Ristine, Jeff (July 23, 2006). "After 25 years, the trolley keeps on moving". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
8. ^ a b "September 2, 2012, Service Changes. Major Bus and Trolley Service Changes". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
9. ^ "Pacific Surfliner Schedule, effective January 14, 2014" (PDF). Amtrak California. November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
10. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2011 – State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 13, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
11. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2012 – State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
12. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2013 – State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
13. ^ Olsen, Mark (November 22, 2021). "San Diego Region Celebrates Grand Opening of Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley". SDMTS (Press release). Retrieved October 24, 2022.
14. ^ "Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project". San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
15. ^ "San Diego Regional Transit Map" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. November 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
16. ^ "San Diego Flyer". San Diego International Airport.
17. ^ "Triton Transit". transportation.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
18. ^ "Tram Information and Hours – Public Safety". University of San Diego. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
19. ^ "San Diego, CA". FlixBus. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
20. ^ "Old Town Transit Center map". November 21, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Town Transit Center (San Diego).

* San Diego, CA–Old Town – Amtrak
* San Diego, CA–Old Town – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
* COASTER Stations
* Old Town Transit Center – SDMTS
* Old Town San Diego Amtrak Station – USA RailGuide (TrainWeb)
* Old Town San Diego State Historic Park (California State Parks)

* v
* t
* e

Transportation in San Diego County

Air|

* McClellan–Palomar Airport
* San Diego International Airport

Bus (routes)|

* North County Transit District
* Breeze Rapid
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* Rapid

Commuter rail and inter-city rail|

* COASTER
* Metrolink (Inland Empire–Orange County Line, Orange County Line)
* Pacific Surfliner (Amtrak)

Light rail|

* San Diego Trolley (Blue Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Silver Line)
* SPRINTER

Maritime|

* Broadway Pier
* Port of San Diego

Defunct|

* SuperLoop

* v
* t
* e

San Diego Trolley

Blue Line

University City|

* UTC
* Executive Drive
* UC San Diego Health La Jolla
* UC San Diego Central Campus
* VA Medical Center
* Nobel Drive

Clairemont|

* Balboa Avenue
* Clairemont Drive
* Tecolote Road

Old Town–Middletown|

* Old Town (via )
* Washington Street
* Middletown (via )

Downtown|

* County Center/Little Italy
* Santa Fe Depot
* America Plaza (via )
* Civic Center
* Fifth Avenue
* City College (via )
* Park & Market
* 12th & Imperial

Barrio Logan|

* Barrio Logan
* Harborside
* Pacific Fleet

National City|

* 8th Street
* 24th Street

Chula Vista|

* E Street
* H Street
* Palomar Street

South San Diego|

* Palm Avenue
* Iris Avenue
* Beyer Blvd.
* San Ysidro

Green Line

Downtown|

* 12th & Imperial
* Gaslamp Quarter
* Convention Center
* Seaport Village
* Santa Fe Depot
* County Center/Little Italy

Old Town–Middletown|

* Middletown (via )
* Washington Street
* Old Town (via )

Mission Valley|

* Morena/Linda Vista
* Fashion Valley
* Hazard Center
* Mission Valley Center
* Rio Vista
* Fenton Parkway
* Stadium
* Mission San Diego

Grantville–College Area|

* Grantville
* SDSU
* UC San Diego Health East

La Mesa|

* 70th Street
* Grossmont
* Amaya Drive

El Cajon|

* El Cajon

Orange Line

Downtown|

* Courthouse
* Civic Center
* Fifth Avenue
* City College (via )
* Park & Market
* 12th & Imperial

Logan Heights|

* 25th & Commercial
* 32nd & Commercial

Chollas View–Lincoln Park–Encanto|

* 47th Street
* Euclid Avenue
* Encanto/62nd Street

Lemon Grove|

* Massachusetts Avenue
* Lemon Grove Depot

La Mesa|

* Spring Street
* La Mesa Blvd.
* Grossmont

El Cajon|

* El Cajon

Copper Line

El Cajon–Santee|

* El Cajon
* Arnele Avenue
* Gillespie Field
* Santee

Other

Other lines & stations|

* Silver Line (limited service)
* Special Event Line (used during Comic-Con only)
* Purple Line (proposed)

* San Diego Square (closed station)
* Columbia Street (closed station)

Connecting services|

* COASTER
* Pacific Surfliner
* (via )

* MTS Bus
* NCTD Breeze Bus

* Pronto
* Transportation in San Diego
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway
* San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad
* San Diego Electric Railway

* v
* t
* e

COASTER

Stations|

* Oceanside
* Carlsbad Village
* Carlsbad Poinsettia
* Encinitas
* Solana Beach
* Sorrento Valley
* Old Town
* Santa Fe Depot

Other|

* North County Transit District
* SPRINTER
* Compass Card
* PRONTO Card
* San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
* San Diego Association of Governments
* Surf Line

* v
* t
* e

Amtrak stations in California

Active stations|

* Allensworth State Park (request stop)
* Anaheim
* Antioch–Pittsburg
* Auburn
* Bakersfield
* Barstow
* Berkeley
* Burbank Airport–South
* Burbank–Downtown (limited service)
* Camarillo
* Carpinteria
* Chatsworth
* Chico
* Colfax
* Corcoran
* Davis
* Dunsmuir
* Emeryville
* Fairfield–Vacaville
* Fremont
* Fresno
* Fullerton
* Glendale
* Goleta
* Grover Beach
* Guadalupe
* Hanford
* Hayward
* Irvine
* Lodi
* Lompoc–Surf
* Los Angeles
* Madera
* Martinez
* Merced
* Modesto
* Moorpark
* Needles
* Northridge (limited service)
* Oakland Coliseum
* Oakland–Jack London Square
* Oceanside
* Ontario
* Oxnard
* Palm Springs
* Paso Robles
* Pomona
* Redding
* Richmond
* Riverside
* Rocklin
* Roseville
* Sacramento
* Salinas
* San Bernardino
* San Clemente Pier (limited service)
* San Diego–Old Town
* San Diego–Santa Fe Depot
* San Jose Diridon
* San Juan Capistrano
* San Luis Obispo
* Santa Ana
* Santa Barbara
* Santa Clara–Great America
* Santa Clara–University
* Simi Valley
* Solana Beach
* Stockton–Cabral
* Stockton–San Joaquin Street
* Suisun–Fairfield
* Truckee
* Turlock–Denair
* Van Nuys
* Ventura
* Victorville
* Wasco

Former stations|

* Alhambra
* Anaheim–Stadium
* Bakersfield (ATSF)
* Carlsbad Poinsettia
* Carlsbad Village
* Commerce
* Del Mar
* Encinitas
* Gerber
* Indio
* Madera–Storey
* Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo
* Marysville
* Oakland–16th Street
* Orange
* Orland
* Pasadena
* Pomona–North
* Riverbank
* San Francisco
* Sorrento Valley

Future stations|

* City College
* Elk Grove
* Hercules
* Lodi
* Madera
* Merced
* Midtown Sacramento
* Natomas/Sacramento Airport
* Oakley
* Old North Sacramento

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