Costa Mesa’s free rideshare program expands coverage area, extends weekday hours

A plan to expand a free ride-sharing service that has helped seniors, people with mobility challenges and young people without access to cars get around Costa Mesa won the approval of the City Council this week.

Let’s Go Costa Mesa has been shuttling residents about in all-electric vehicles on short trips from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Its coverage area is roughly bordered by Joann Street to the North, Placentia Avenue reaching down to the southwest corner of the city at 16th Street, and Newport Boulevard to the East. It also extends to Newport Harbor High School.

The expansion approved Tuesday will extend weekday hours to 8 p.m. It also increases the program’s service area to include the Hoag Hospital complex, as well as a strip stretching east past Newport and the 55 Freeway.

Public Works Commissioner David Martinez, speaking on behalf of himself, said during the public comment portion of the meeting he was sure residents of the east side of town “would appreciate not having to cross over the 55 to use this service, and I think it’s fantastic to expand it to include Hoag Hospital so anyone can get to their necessary medical appointments.”

The idea to create the service came in part from a desire to give more independence to Costa Mesa’s senior community, Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds said.

“They didn’t go to the senior center because they didn’t have vehicle access, or it was hard to get there,” Reynolds said. “They didn’t go to certain events, they didn’t get to parks, they couldn’t get to Hoag Hospital, because they didn’t have this support.”

The program served 24 people in October of 2024, and its ridership has grown dramatically since then. About 2,800 people used the service in August.

Councilman Manuel Chavez noted that about 45% of the program’s riders are between the ages of 16 and 22.

“We have a lot of Costa Mesa teens who go to Newport Harbor,” Chavez said. “We have a lot of kids who go to Estancia. This [service] is very productive.”

The program, including the newly-approved expansion, is funded entirely by a three-year grant through California’s Clean Mobility Options initiative. Councilman Mike Buley noted that money is set to run out in 2026, and asked staff if they have considered ways to keep it going beyond that point.

“We kind of expected you would ask, it’s the hot topic, right?” Costa Mesa Transportation Director Paul Martin said. “The city was able to secure a grant for three years, so what happens after that? …We’ve got a couple years to really nurture that and really look for those opportunities, whether that’s with the state, or with [Orange County Transportation Authority] more locally or if there’s some other mechanism for funding sources.”

Buley noted the city owns the electric vehicles paid for by the grant. He was optimistic that a way could be found to keep maintenance costs low and continue the service.

Eric Licas is a Daily Pilot contributing writer.