8 ways to get to City College for free this month

The region is celebrating the release of PRONTO with free rides on regional public transit

Passenger on 215 bus

Jakob McWhinney

Passenger on 215 bus rests their eyes as the bus drives past San Diego City College. Photo by Jakob McWhinney/City Times Media

Jakob McWhinney, Multimedia Journalist

Ever thought about giving public transportation a try? Well, now’s your chance.

City officials are offering free rides on public transit through the month of September in celebration of the launch of the region’s new fare processing system, PRONTO.

Encinitas Mayor and San Diego Association of Governments Chair Catherine Blakespear said she hoped guaranteeing San Diegans free rides in September would become an annual outreach program.

“It helps us reduce congestion, it helps us reduce pollution, it helps us get around in the places that we need to go to live our life in a way that’s healthy and promotes the type of world that we want,” said Blakespear at an Metropolitan Transit System press conference on Sept. 1.

Download the PRONTO app from the Apple App or Google Play stores, or purchase a PRONTO card from any MTS or NCTD ticket machine, and select retail outlets in the region to access this deal. 

To aid in your public transit adventures, we’ve compiled a list of ways for City College students to get to class on regional busses and trolleys. Happy riding!

How to get to City College on the bus

Route 12 from Skyline Hills to City College

Students commuting from neighborhoods South of the 94, like Skyline, Valencia Park and Logan Heights can catch the 12 bus. The first stop is at Paradise Valley Road and Meadowbrook Drive. The route follows Skyline Drive to National Avenue continuing past Chicano Park on Logan Avenue and ending at 11th Avenue & Broadway.

Route 20 from Rancho Bernardo to Downtown

Students commuting from north county communities like Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Mira Mesa, Miramar, and more central communities like Kearny Mesa and Mission Valley can catch the 20 bus, whose first stop is at the Rancho Bernardo Station. This route takes the 15 to the 163, with stops in Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and Mission Valley, with its final stop at 10th Avenue and Broadway.

Route 30 from UTC/VA Med Ctr to Downtown 

Students commuting from La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Old Town and Gaslamp can catch the 30 bus, which begins at the University Town Center Transit Center. This route snakes through the area around UCSD toward the coast before heading South on La Jolla Shores Drive to La Jolla Boulevard. The route then continues through Bird Rock and into Pacific Beach where it heads East on Grand Avenue and then takes the 5 to Downtown ending at 9th Avenue & C Street.

NOTE: If you’re commuting from the UTC area, the quickest route is taking the 105 bus to Old Town, and then switching to the 30.

Route 215 from SDSU to Downtown

Students commuting from the San Diego State University area, City Heights and North Park can take the 215 bus, whose first stop is at the SDSU transit center. The route follows El Cajon Boulevard to Park Boulevard, where it heads south into Downtown. Unlike the other bus routes listed, this route does not end at City College. Riders should disembark at the Park  Boulevard and Broadway stop, just across the street from San Diego City College.

 Route 923 from Ocean Beach to City College

Students commuting from Ocean Beach or Point Loma can catch the 923 bus, which the first stop is at Point Loma Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. This route runs down Cable Street to Voltaire before eventually connecting to North Harbor Drive then taking Broadway to its final stop at Ninth Avenue and C Street.

How to get to City College on the trolley

Orange Line

Students commuting from the south bay communities of San Ysidro, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and National City can take the Blue Line to the City College stop directly across the street from campus.

Blue Line

Students commuting from the south bay communities of San Ysidro, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and National City can take the Blue Line to the City College stop directly across the street from campus.

Green Line

Students commuting from the Santee area can take the Green Line to the El Cajon Station then transfer to the Orange Line for the remainder of the journey.

Update, Sept. 9, 5:15 p.m.: The embedded map for the Green Line was corrected. City Times regrets the error.