When you ride San Diego public transit on Thanksgiving, a friend can ride with you for free.
The Metropolitan Transit System is running a holiday promotion — dubbed Friends Ride Free — on Thursday that lets each fare-paying adult bring along one guest at no charge.
And kids can always ride free with the transit agency’s Youth Opportunity Pass.
Both MTS and the North County Transit District are running trains and buses on modified schedules for the holiday.
On Thanksgiving, all MTS bus routes will operate on a Sunday schedule, and all trolley lines will operate on a half-hour frequency.
In North County, all NCTD services — including Coaster and Sprinter trains and Breeze buses — will run on a Sunday schedule, except NCTD+ and COASTER Connection, which won’t operate.
There won’t be service on MTS’s Rapid Express Routes 280 or 290 and Rural Routes 888, 891 and 894. Rural Route 892 will operate on Wednesday but not Thursday.
MTS Access passengers must call ahead to arrange transportation.
Travelers can also benefit from direct connections to the airport with the 992 bus or the free San Diego Airport Flyer shuttle from the Old Town Transit Center.
On Friday, all urban and local MTS bus routes will run on a usual weekday schedule and trolleys on a Sunday schedule.
MTS’ transit store, customer service and trip planning and the PRONTO support center will be closed on Thanksgiving. All support services will reopen on Friday with normal hours.
Complete holiday service and trip-planning tools can be found at sdmts.com and gonctd.com.