Laguna Beach : Laguna to Provide Trams in Summer to Aid Traffic

In a move aimed at reducing business district traffic during the summer, the City Council has unanimously approved a plan to provide tram rides downtown every weekend from June 15 to Sept. 8.

On summer weekends, City Clerk Verna L. Rollinger said, downtown has about 1,100 fewer spaces than are needed. “The program will potentially add 444 spaces,” she said.

Two trams will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on non-festival weekends, and three or four will run every hour from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on festival weekends, said Terry Brandt, director of municipal services. People can park for free at a city lot in Laguna Canyon or at the high school parking lot and ride the trams downtown.

Fares will be 50 cents per ride, or $1.50 all day. Brandt said merchants can buy three tickets for $1 “to encourage (their) employees to park outside downtown.”

The plan, approved Tuesday, still needs approval from the Laguna Beach Unified School District for use of its 126-space high school parking lot. The city already has an agreement with the Irvine Co. to use the 318-space dirt lot in Laguna Canyon.

Clyde Lovelady, business manager for the school district, said the city often has asked to use the parking lot in the past. “They’ve always asked and we’ve always agreed. It’s available to them,” he said.

In a related move to ease the parking squeeze, the council decided to try to buy four parking lots in the central business district.

Officials will negotiate prices for two lots on Ocean Avenue and a third on Broadway. The city’s lease on those lots, at a total of more than $61,000, will expire within the next two years, said Rob Clark, assistant to the city manager.

“It’s more efficient or cheaper in the long run to own them rather than lease them,” he said.

The council also approved the purchase of an 80-space lot on Forest Avenue adjacent to City Hall, where the city plans to build a parking structure. The Lumber Yard shopping mall across the street will share the structure.

The city also is in the process of converting the 92-space Glenneyre Street parking lot into a two-level 216-space parking structure. Construction is scheduled for completion in June.