Important information for fans attending Monday night’s Chargers game

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008

Because Monday nights’ Chargers-Seahawks game at Qualcomm Stadium kicks off at 5 p.m., which coincides with San Diego’s normal rush-hour traffic, and a 7:05 p.m. Padres game at Petco Park, Chargers fans planning to attend Monday night’s are being urged to arrive early by carpooling or riding the Trolley to the stadium.  Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to the stadium. There will be NO bus service to the stadium and because of the timing of Monday night’s kickoff, trolley service and availability will be severely limited.

“Traffic is expected to be particular heavy around the stadium area for several reasons,” said Jim Steeg, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Chargers.  “Mission Valley is one of the most congested areas during normal rush-hour.  If you combine that with all of the cars driving to the stadium, fewer Trolley trains available, no bus service and the additional downtown traffic due to the Padres game, then we have what could be the ‘perfect storm’ for traffic problems.”

The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 1:00 p.m. for general admission customers and 12 noon for those with prepaid parking permits.

Fans planning to ride the Trolley should board at one of the locations mentioned below. Round-trip Trolley tickets range from $3.00-$6.00. The Trolley offers enhanced Green Line service between Old Town and Santee before and after all games. There are several options along the Green Line from the East County, including the El Cajon Transit Center (Main St. at Marshall); the Grossmont Transit Center (8601 Fletcher Parkway at Grossmont Center Dr.) and the Grantville Trolley Station (I-8 at Mission Gorge).  Fans can also pick up the Trolley from the West, however due to rush hour and the Padres game, those locations are also expected to have very limited parking. They are however, Hazard Center (parking is free on Hazard Center’s lower level, corner of Friars Road and Frazee) and the Old Town Transit Center (Pacific Highway at Taylor Street).  The Green Line begins running three hours before kickoff and a paid Trolley ticket is required before boarding the Trolley to the stadium.

The parking lot is expected to fill quickly and could close as early as 4 p.m. A limited amount of paid overflow parking is available at the Town and Country Hotel (I-8 and Hotel Circle), the Marriott Mission Valley (Qualcomm Way and Rio San Diego Dr.) and San Diego State University (I-8 and College Ave.)  Rates and parking lots vary.  Fans can ride the San Diego Trolley to the stadium from each of these parking locations.