Long Beach : Shuttle Service Will Begin With 2 Downtown Routes

Long Beach Transit, the city’s public bus system, plans to start a downtown shuttle service this spring.

The 25-cent shuttle will run every five minutes along two routes. One will primarily follow Ocean Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Golden Shore and the Catalina Island ferry terminal. The second route will follow Pine Avenue from the shoreline Hyatt Hotel to 6th Street and then swing over to Long Beach Boulevard for part of its return trip.

Rhea Mealey, marketing director, said city Redevelopment Agency officials approached the bus system about starting a shuttle to serve downtown office workers and tourists. The mini-bus service will probably start in April.

Meanwhile, the city-owned bus company also is planning to increase its fares Feb. 1, the first such increase in more than five years. The regular fare will rise from 60 cents to 75 cents, student fares will increase from 40 cents to 50 cents and senior citizens and the disabled will be charged 35 cents, rather than 30 cents.

Mealey said the fare increase had been planned for this summer, but was moved up because of rising fuel costs stemming from the Persian Gulf crisis. The company’s fuel bills have shot up by more than $1 million in the past six months.