San Diego – The annual San Diego Pride Parade and Festival, the largest single-day civic event in the region, rolls into the streets of Hillcrest this weekend. Colorful floats and cheerful participants will attract more than 250,000 spectators Saturday, July 20, and MTS is encouraging attendees to take public transit to avoid parking challenges along the parade route.
Spectators can access the parade route along several bus routes that run near and through Hillcrest. Rapid 215 is a great way to get to all the Pride festivities. The route provides service every 15 minutes or better throughout most of the day to University Avenue and Park Boulevard, just three blocks from the start of the parade. Route 7 is another option to get to the Pride Shuttle service; simply take Route 7 to Park Boulevard and Presidents Way to the free Pride Shuttle service. Routes 1, 3, 10, 11 and 120 will also provide service to the parade route, while Routes 3 and 120 will provide service to the festival.
However, some MTS bus routes will experience detours and service delays due to numerous road closures in Hillcrest. Routes 1, 10, 11 & 120 will be detoured on Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. To see the full list of detoured bus routes, please visit the MTS San Diego Pride Parade & Festival webpage. MTS Information and Trip Planning assistance will be available from 7 a.m.–7 p.m. at (619) 233-3004.
MTS also announced its participation in this year’s San Diego Pride Parade, featuring the newly wrapped “Ride with Pride” bus. MTS employees will celebrate San Diego Pride and promote inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ folks with spectators along the parade route.
To help expedite the boarding process, fans should download the PRONTO app in advance. Load at least $5 on your virtual card, which covers a round-trip fare for adult riders. Each passenger with a valid fare must tap or scan on the station validators prior to boarding. Every passenger needs their own PRONTO app or card, you cannot buy fares for multiple people on the same device. If you have a PRONTO card, you can load your card in advance online at ridepronto.com.
Kids ride free! Families going to the parade can save big by taking MTS. On weekends, two children 12 and under ride for free, no pass required, with every paying adult. Youth ages 18 and under with a registered Youth PRONTO card or app account can ride free with the Youth Opportunity Pass.
About MTS
The Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 92 bus routes and three Trolley lines in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of San Diego. MTS is a leader in advancing initiatives to create a greener, cleaner and better-connected transit system in San Diego. Each weekday more than 250,000 passenger trips are taken throughout the MTS system taking people to work, school, health appointments and other essential trips. In FY 2023, MTS served more than 68 million riders. For service schedule updates, news, alerts and more information on how you can use public transportation, go to www.sdmts.com.
###
