North County Transit District (NCTD) is pleased to announce two transportation options for the 2006 San Diego Padres season at Petco Park. Padres fans can choose to take either the COASTER on weekdays or the BREEZE Express bus service on weekends.

Padres fans can reach the ballpark stress-free and without traffic by riding the COASTER to downtown San Diego's Santa Fe Depot, then transferring for free to the San Diego Trolley (with a validated COASTER ticket) for the quick ride to the Gaslamp Quarter station. When leaving Petco Park after the game, fans can validate an unused COASTER ticket at a validator on the Trolley's Gaslamp Quarter ticket trailer, which is good for a free Trolley ride to Santa Fe Depot. That validated COASTER ticket is also good for the return COASTER trip to North County.

The COASTER special late-night return train from downtown San Diego will operate every Monday through Thursday evening for Padres home games played at Petco Park. These special trains will depart downtown at 10:15 p.m. if the game ends at or before 9:30 p.m. If the game ends later than 9:30 p.m., the train will depart 45 minutes after the last out, but no later than 11:30 p.m. For Friday night games, fans can catch the regularly scheduled Friday late night COASTER trains which depart Santa Fe Depot at 9:45 p.m. and 12:05 a.m.

Special service will begin for the home opener on Monday, April 3, 2006. To reach the ballpark in time for the first pitch, it is suggested that passengers board the southbound train that leaves Oceanside at 2:50 p.m. For the return trip, fans can catch a special train that will depart Santa Fe Depot 45 minutes after the final out.

To attend the Padres afternoon weekday games starting at 12:35 p.m. (eight of these games are scheduled for the 2006 season), take the regularly scheduled weekday COASTER trains. The regularly scheduled COASTER arrives at Santa Fe Depot at 11:58 a.m. and the northbound trains departing Santa Fe Depot at 4:22, 4:52 and 5:22 p.m. will get passengers back up to North County after the games. There will be no late night COASTER service for weekday games beginning at 12:35 p.m.

Regular COASTER fares start at $4.75 for 3-zone one-way travel and increase to $5.25 for 4-zone one-way trips. For convenience, passengers are encouraged to buy two-trip tickets or 10-trip discounted tickets. Both are available at North County COASTER stations from ticket vending machines. Discounted COASTER fares are available for seniors (ages 60 or older) and persons with disabilities.

BREEZE Express buses transport North County fans along coastal and inland routes for every Saturday and Sunday Padres home game. For Friday night games, Express buses serve the inland route locations as well. Complete COASTER and BREEZE schedules and additional details about the 2005 Padres Express bus and COASTER service schedule are available on NCTD's website at www.gonctd.com.