Free weekend bus service begins Saturday in Laguna

Relief is on the way for motorists not wanting to battle summer weekend traffic congestion in Laguna Beach.

The City Council last week unanimously approved weekend bus service — free to riders — from a parking lot near the 405 Freeway and Highway 133. Service begins Saturday and will run every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 28.

City, Orange County Transportation Authority and Irvine Co. officials partnered on the service, which came together in two weeks after discussions between Laguna Mayor Steve Dicterow and Lisa Bartlett, chairwoman of the county board of supervisors.

“I’ve wanted to do this for the last 20 years,” Dicterow said Friday.

“It started as an idea with how are we going to be able to get more people into Laguna Beach without having them drive their cars into this city,” Bartlett, whose district includes Laguna, told the council. “To put it together in less than two weeks is nothing short of a miracle.”

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Motorists can park for free at the lot, owned by the Irvine Co., off Limestone and buses will run every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Buses will travel along Laguna Canyon Road, stopping at the Sawdust Art Festival, Laguna Art-A-Fair, Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters, the Laguna Playhouse and the bus depot on Broadway Street.

The city is paying $85,000 for operational and leasing costs. The lot will have 100 spaces to start, but the number of spaces could increase to meet demand, Laguna’s public works Director Shohreh Dupuis told the council.

It is unknown whether the lot would be available long-term, but Bartlett said there may be properties near the Irvine Spectrum fit for this type of use.

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Bryce Alderton, bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce