Traffic issues expected for Sunday's home opener

Tuesday, Sep 02, 2008

With only 1,500 tickets still available for sale, the Chargers are advising its fans to expect another huge crowd and the related traffic issues before Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers at Qualcomm Stadium. 

The parking lot at the stadium will open at 9:00 am, however it is expected to fill to capacity and close by 11:30 am prior to the 1:15 pm kickoff.  Vehicles with pre-purchased parking permits can enter the parking lot five hours prior to kickoff.

Good news for Charger fans: the Metropolitan Transit System’s Chargers Express bus service is back in operation for Sunday’s game.  The service will operate from five locations and the round-trip fare is $10.  Bus service runs between 11:15-12:30 pm only and all buses depart Qualcomm Stadium 20 minutes after the final whistle.  The five Park & Ride locations include:

• Mira Mesa Blvd & I-15 Park-and-Ride
• Governor Drive & I-805 Park-and-Ride
• Spring Street Trolley Station (La Mesa)
• Kearny Mesa Traffic Court (Clairemont Mesa Blvd. east of SR 163)
• Chula Vista High School (820 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista)

Fans in San Diego’s North County can take the Amtrak Coaster to the Old Town Trolley Station and take the Trolley to the Stadium or they can drive to one of five Park & Ride locations.  For more information on the Chargers Express bus services, go to www.sdmts.com.

For fans not taking the bus, they are urged to carpool early to the stadium or ride the Trolley.  For those driving, they are urged to avoid I-15 south to the stadium. 

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 at 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 11:30 a.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.

For complete details, go to http://www.chargers.com/stadium/attending-home-games.htm.