City to Replace Part of Trolley with Fare-Free On-Demand Microtransit, Laguna Beach, CA 2021

The Laguna Beach City Council has approved the formation of a fare-free, on-demand microtransit pilot program. The new demand-responsive transportation service will serve the neighborhoods of Arch Beach Heights, Bluebird Canyon, and Top of the World. Previously, these neighborhoods were served by the Laguna Beach Trolley Service, but saw low ridership at a rate of less than 10 boardings per hour. With this new on-demand service, customers can request point-to-point service by app or by phone and expect to be picked up within 20 minutes. The shared rides will take place across a fleet of four vans. These vans will be equipped with bicycle racks and one will be ADA-accessible. Operating hours will be:

• 8 AM – 6 PM, Monday – Thursday
• 8 AM – 10 PM, Friday
• 10 AM – 10 PM, Saturday

Laguna Beach is piloting this service with the hopes of improving mobility options for people in certain communities. As a small municipality, the previous transit system (the trolley service) did not appear to provide the level of convenience needed. Hopefully, with the new on-demand rideshare service, customers can access public transportation more readily.

Last updated August 9, 2021