Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) operates 94 fixed bus routes in the San Diego area with a fleet of 797 buses. Fixed route bus service include local, urban, express, premium express and rural routes.
MTS buses operates within the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, National City, Lemon Grove, Poway and Santee, as well as the County of San Diego. MTS bus routes connect with North County Transit District (NCTD) bus and rail routes as well as the San Diego Trolley.
MTS Bus Fares:
All fixed-route buses accept Compass Cards, cash and tokens. MTS Access vehicles accept cash and paper tickets. Most buses have fareboxes and a Compass Card reader that validates pass products and can load a 1-Day Pass onto a Compass Card.
Fixed Route: Riders can purchase either a one-way or a 1-Day Pass.
• One-way fares are $2.25, $2.50, $5 or $10 depending on type of service.
• A 1-Day Pass is $5 for local, urban, Express and Rapid routes with a Compass Card ($7 without) and $12 for Rapid Express routes.
• Adult monthly (calendar or 30-day) pass price is $72 (local, urban, Express and Rapid) and $100 (Rapid Express)
| Adult | Senior/ Disabled/ Medicare | |
| MTS Trolley | $2.50 | $1.25 |
| MTS Bus | $2.25 | $1.10 |
| MTS Rapid (Route 215) |
$2.25 | $1.10 |
| MTS Rapid (Routes 235, 237) |
$2.50 | $1.25 |
| MTS Express (Routes 20, 50, 60, 110, 150, 870, 950) |
$2.50 | $1.25 |
| MTS Rapid Express/Premium (Routes 280, 290) |
$5 | $2.50 |
You must have exact change ready as bus drivers cannot make change. Also note: Trolley Ticket Vending Machines can only distribute a maximum of $5 in change.
Going to the Airport?
From downtown San Diego doing to San Diego Airport is as easy as boarding MTS Route 992, which stops at Terminals 1 and 2, and operates between 5:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends and holidays.
| Points of interest | Bus / Trolley Route |
| Balboa Park: (San Diego Zoo) | Rapid 215, Routes 3, 7 and 120 |
| La Mesa: | Orange Line Trolley, Routes 1 and 7 |
| Living Coast Discovery Center: | UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley to E Street, then catch the Discovery Center shuttle. |
| SDSU | Green Line Trolley |
| Lindbergh Field (San Diego Airport) | Route 992 from Santa Fe Depot. |
| Petco Park: | Green, Orange and Blue Trolley, Rapid 215 and 235, as well as special Route 901 service |
| Qualcomm Stadium, Jack Murphy Field | Green Line Trolley |
| Old Town | Green Line Trolley |
| Coronado | MTS Bus 901 and MTS Bus 904 |
| Seaworld/Mission Beach | Route 8/9 |
| Mission and Pacific Beach | Routes 8/9 |
| La Jolla | Route 30 |
| Coronado and Silver Strand | Routes 901/904 |
MTS Free Rides
Family Weekends: On Saturdays and Sundays up to two children (age 12 and under) may ride FREE on all MTS Buses and Trolley routes with a fare-paying adult (age 18 or older).
Holiday Friends Ride Free: On New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, a friend may ride free with a fare-paying customer on all MTS routes.
