Ready Lane-San Ysidro  Source: BajaExplorers.com

The Ready Lanes provide faster border crossing with RFID-enabled US passport card (not the book), RFID-enabled US visa and SENTRI or Global Entry cards.

It seems that everyone has their own route.  Problem is, nearly no one can give directions for how they go, usually the answer is "I'll have to show you."  

With that in mind, here are two options to get to the San Ysidro Ready lanes, with maps.  These routes do not require making any illegal turns, as some routes do, and they are less subject to street closures by the police when traffic is congested.  Of course, you need appropriate RFID-enabled cards to use the Ready Lanes. We hope it helps.

From Mex Highway 1, the free road

  1. Drive into Tijuana on Mex Highway 1, the free road from Rosarito.
  2. As you enter the city, the road will split and become one way.  Continue on this road, there is only a slight change in the direction of the road at the intersection with Blvd Agua Caliente, there's a Pemex station on the opposite left corner, continue across to the right of Pemex keeping in the main traffic lanes.
  3. You will come to a traffic circle with a statue of an Indian, Cuauhtemoc, which is also the street name of the free road in Tijuana.
  4. Continue across to the opposite side of the traffic circle, 1/2 way across.  In other words, continue in a straight line from the other side of the traffic circle.
  5. As you cross the bridge over the river, just past the traffic circle, move into the right lanes, do not take the exit before the bridge, stay with the main traffic lanes.
  6. Take the first right after the bridge, and follow the curb to the first right.  It's only a few yards from the bridge.
  7. This looks like a parking lot for CFE.  It is, however, a marked city street named Aviación.  (If you miss this turn, just take the next right a block or so farther.)
  8. Continue to the end, one block, and turn right.
  9. You are now on the Via Rápida Oriente expressway.  Merge left onto the expressway lanes.  Continue straight on the right side of the express lanes.
  10. In about one mile, follow the blue signs to the Ready Lanes.

From Mex Highway 1D, the toll/scenic road

  1. Drive to Tijuana from Rosarito on the toll road.  After the toll plaza at Playas de Tijuana, the toll road ends and the highway turns inland toward Tijuana
  2. It is best to stay on this road.  Do not take the exit marked "San Diego".  (If you prefer to take this exit, skip to step #7)
  3. At the Municipal Cemetery the road takes a slight left, stay on the main road.
  4. Stay in the main lanes, the road, called "Benito Juarez" also called Second St., becomes one way through central Tijuana.  Traffic generally moves well through here.
  5. Continue on Second St.
  6. Continue on Second Street and move into the right lanes, following the signs to Paseo de los Heroes.
  7. Follow the signs to Paseo de los Heroes  (This is where traffic that took the border road from Step #2, Via Internacional rejoins Second St.)
  8. Continue on Paseo de los Heroes to the first traffic circle, with the "scissors" sculpture, and go 3/4 around the circle, the equivalent of making a left turn.
  9. Continue over the bridge over the river.  Stay in the main lanes.
  10. You will come to another traffic circle with a statue of a man, Miguel Hidalgo known as the Father of Mexico.  Go entirely around this circle as if you were making a U turn, but do not cross the bridge again, stay in the right lane and take the ramp to the right of the bridge.
  11. At the end of this ramp, turn right.
  12. You are now on the Via Rápida Oriente expressway.  Merge left onto the expressway lanes to the left of the median.  Continue straight on the right side of the express lanes (not the local lanes).
  13. In about 1/2 mile from the last turn you made, follow the blue signs to the Ready Lanes.