Trolley Runs All Summer; New North Route to Come in June

By Cari Hachmann

Trolley service for the city of San Clemente began on Friday, May 24.

The original Red Line Downtown Trolley Route will operate daily with free rides through Sunday, September 29. The new Blue Line North S.C. Trolley Route, which will connect to the Dana Point Trolley System, is anticipated to start operations in mid-to-late June, once the additional new trolley vehicles are delivered to the city, said City Manager James Makshanoff, in a recent press release.

The San Clemente trolley will run all summer Monday through Friday, from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Additional holiday service hours are available on the city’s website at san-clemente.org/trolley. Riders can expect a trolley at each stop about every 15 minutes.

The Red Line Downtown Trolley Route runs northbound and southbound throughout downtown San Clemente and stops at 16 different locations, including many of the city’s key destinations: The San Clemente Pier; Avenida Del Mar & Ola Vista; The Outlets at San Clemente; and the Metrolink train station at North Beach.

Due to the popularity of the San Clemente Trolley, which served more than 115,000 passengers last summer, the San Clemente City Council voted to expand the trolley to provide daily service and begin a new trolley route to serve the northern part of San Clemente and connect with the Dana Point Trolley.

To support the expansion, the city received grant funding from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

This summer, the new Blue Line North San Clemente Route will run from the Outlets at San Clemente north along several streets that can be found on the city’s website. Once the North San Clemente route begins operation, riders can transfer between the two routes at the Outlets at San Clemente (Trolley stop #9).

Trolley stops are clearly marked with signs that have the San Clemente Trolley logo. For more information about the San Clemente Trolley, including a detailed map of stops, san-clemente.org/trolley. Riders can also track the trolley in real time at sctrolley.com.—