The City of Coronado’s 2024 Free Summer Shuttle bus program began service on Monday, July 1 at 9am, immediately following the launch event hosted by the city. Coronado City Manager Tina Friend kicked off the event saying, “The Free Summer Shuttle program has been operating for 11 years and provides a vital way to link our city and get cars off the road. Today marks the first day of service and it will run through Labor Day. On the Fourth of July we will also run a special service down to the Cays.”
Friend recognized the organizations that support this program saying, “We have a lot of partnerships that make this [program] happen, we have MTS, our bus provider along with their wonderful bus drivers. Thank you to Discover Coronado who brings the beautiful wrap to the bus, making it a very festive, eye catching iconic bus driving around our town. This is possible because of everyone coming together to bring this service to our town.”
Discover Coronado Chairperson and General Manager for Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Spa, Jonathan Litvak, spoke about the benefits of the free summer shuttle for local businesses. He talked of the benefits for Coronado hotel guests that can discover Coronado without having to worry about parking or transportation costs during their visit to Coronado. “For our local businesses the Free Summer Shuttle helps to evenly distribute customers across the island, so each Coronado business within our district can benefit and continue to thrive… Discover Coronado has been a co-sponsor for the summer shuttle [in part] because it helps reduce fuel consumption. We thank the city for investing in this program that keeps Coronado accessible, sustainable and fun to discover.”
Sharon Cooney, CEO of MTS spoke of the benefits of the program keeping congestion off the roads of Coronado. She shared that about 800 patrons a day rode this shuttle in the past and that keeps up to 800 vehicles off the road.
The Free Summer Shuttle buses will run along the existing 904 bus route around the Village area of Coronado seven days a week. The buses operate in 15-minute intervals from 9 am to 8 pm. The Summer Shuttle service to the Cays community on July 4 will run from 7:30 am to 11:00 pm in 30-minute intervals from the northeast corner of Coronado Cays and Grand Caribe to the southerly corner of Avenue De Las Arenas and Silver Strand Boulevard. The public can find more information and the MTS bus route and map on the City’s ProjectCoronado.org website.
The Free Summer Shuttle joins the Island Express as another means of free public transportation for Coronado residents and visitors. The Island Express mini-shuttle pilot program launched on June 4 and is a door to door on-demand shuttle provided by Circuit Transportation. According to the city, Island Express has six electric five-passenger vehicles providing service to the Village and two electric 10-passenger vans serving the Cays. Riders must be at least 16 years old unless accompanied by an adult. The goal of the pilot program is to test the effectiveness of the service to aid in future planning.
City Manager Tina Friend shared that this is a very important summer for the Free Summer Shuttle. Last year ridership numbers were down, but they didn’t know if it was a reporting error or if the usage is declining. Friend said the city is very interested in understanding if the return on investment of the Free Summer Shuttle program makes it worth continuing in future years. While the Free Summer Shuttle is a set route from City Hall to Ferry Landing, the Island Express is a door to door service that is being studied to determine if it is worth investing in as well. City Council Member John Duncan brought a request earlier this year to consider bringing the Island Express to Coronado as a way to support the community transportation needs that also helps with the city’s carbon action plan.
