As America prepares to see its first giant pandas in years at the San Diego Zoo, the city of San Diego is alerting residents and visitors of the potential for increased traffic around Balboa Park.
On Thursday, the San Diego Zoo will open the Panda Ridge exhibit to unveil Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (pronounced sing bow), the first pandas to enter the United States in 21 years.
Increased traffic on Park Boulevard and around Balboa Park is expected between Aug. 8 and Aug. 11 this week, and then during weekends through the remainder of August, a statement from the city read.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
To help ease traffic, people visiting the San Diego Zoo can take advantage of a free shuttle that will pick up and drop off at the Inspiration Point parking lot, where parking is free. Additionally, public transportation is recommended, with bus lanes along Park Boulevard allowing buses to travel more easily, and Rapid 215 and Route 7 provide direct access to the San Diego Zoo.
"Dedicated bike lanes and high-visibility crosswalks on Park Boulevard provide a safe, convenient option for pedestrians and people on bicycles or mobility devices," the city statement read.
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in San Diego in late June and have spent the last several weeks acclimating to the zoo and their new habitat.
