1 McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: May 12 Agenda Item #18: Please Preserve Laguna Local Weekend Canyon Service From: McKay, Ann Marie CC
Sent: Friday, May 8, 2026 8:07 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Cc: Braun, Alexis CS <[email protected]>; Kiff, Dave CM <[email protected]> Subject: May 12 Agenda Item #18: Please Preserve Laguna Local Weekend Canyon Service Dear City Council (via bcc),
I am writing regarding the proposed transit service reductions scheduled for your consideration on Tuesday, and specifically to urge you to preserve the Laguna Local Saturday and Sunday on-demand service for the Canyon route.
I understand the fiscal pressures that drive these recommendations, and I recognize that some adjustments may be necessary. However, eliminating weekend Canyon service would fall hardest on the residents who rely on it most.
For those of us who live out in the canyon, the weekday service is already too limited to be useful for commuting to work. The weekend routes are not a luxury — they are the practical window when canyon families can actually use the system. Saturdays and Sundays are when residents can take a car-free trip to the beach, run errands in town, or support local businesses by shopping and dining downtown.
Eliminating that service doesn't just reduce a convenience; it cuts off a meaningful connection to the rest of the city for households that depend on it, removing a core benefit for an entire segment of the community.
Laguna Beach rightly takes pride in its commitment to sustainability and to the quality of life of all its residents — not just those closest to the coast. Maintaining weekend Canyon service is consistent with both of those values.
I respectfully ask that the Council preserve Saturday and Sunday on-demand service for the Canyon route, even if other schedule adjustments are necessary elsewhere in the system.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued service to our community.
Respectfully,
I live in Laguna Beach. I am a senior and I use Laguna Local 2-3 times a week. I already pay a lot in taxes. I don’t want to be paying twice. Thank you, Toni Lanning
1 McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: Item 18 charging residence for Laguna Local
From: Mike Arredondo
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 4:13 PM
To: McKay, Ann Marie CC <[email protected]>
Subject: Item 18 charging residence for Laguna Local
Hello Ann Marie
Please submit my comments to the council regarding this issue. Most of us residence already pay the majority of the city’s income via property taxes The Laguan Local program has benefited seniors who either don’t drive or who are on fixed SSA income. Another suggestion give residence free on demand to locations like downtown, the library , Susie Q, Ralphs, CVS , LBHS, LCAD, the banks on Ocean Ave, Vons-Boat Canyon, and the medical center in South Laguna. These key locations would serve most residence.
I would rather see a decrease in non-season trolley service since the trolley stopped coming up Nyes into Arch Beach Heights and the Laguan Local service replaced the trolly.
If the city is trying to cover costs, then why not charge tourists a nominal fee of $1.00 per person to ride the trolley during the high use months between June and August.
Thank you,
Mike Arredondo
824 Acapuclo St. LB 92651
[email protected]
949-929-8577
1 McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: Our Trolley System
-----Original Message-----
From: -Carol -Roman
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 2:18 PM
To: McKay, Ann Marie CC <[email protected]>
Subject: Our Trolley System
Thank you for taking the Ɵme to read this. I work on Tuesday evenings. Otherwise I would aƩend the Council meeƟngs and voice my opinions in person.
I would like to briefly address some concerns.
I love our Trolley System. Unfortunately, the summers have become so congested that I rarely am able to go into town in the summer. I've lived in Laguna Beach for 15 years. Between the traffic and the inconsiderate tourists, it has become impossible. The residents, myself included, moved to Laguna Beach because of its beauty, it's coast, it's charm. All of that is fading quickly, and I believe that our City Council has lost sight of it's purpose.
Why is there graffiƟ on Main Beach when we have spent thousands of dollars to beauƟfy the area? Where are the cameras, where are the undercover cops that can protect our city during Holidays? If the City wants to remove damaged trees, don't tell us they are damaged AFTER THE FACT. We already have a President that is a King. I hope City Council is not following in those footsteps.
Carol Roman
Laguna Beach Resident
Please forward this communicaƟon to City Council. Thank you. 1 McKay, Ann Marie CC
Subject: Agenda Item 18: Oppose - Please forward and place in public comment From: Trish Sweeney
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2026 3:28 PM
To: McKay, Ann Marie CC <[email protected]>
Subject: Agenda Item 18: Oppose - Please forward and place in public comment Hi, Ann Marie.
Would you please forward this email to all council members and place it in to public comment for item 18 on tomorrow’s city council agenda?
Thank you.
Trish Sweeney
Laguna Beach City Council:
Our family does NOT support the proposed fee for each and every trip on Laguna Local. The StaƯ report seems to be missing critical data. Specifically:
A good number of fares appear to be children and teens who use the service to get around yet this data isn’t presented.
Another group are seniors on fixed incomes going to local stores to shop for groceries, pick up prescriptions, go to the doctor, etc. Again, no data is provided but we know several neighbors in just our area who depend on this service.
There are 130 establishments to get a drink in Laguna Beach. What percentage of fares evening and weekend fares to and from restaurants and bars? We know that there are people in the community who’d rather drink and have someone else drive. I’d rather have these folks use Laguna Local and keep them oƯ our streets--not just on the weekends--but any time. We're already #1 in DUI per capita in Orange County, according to police department data.
Proposing to charge residents up to $5 per fare for on-demand transit but keep the tourist trolley free is frankly galling.
Property owners already cover the majority of the City's $162 million dollar budget via their property taxes.
The community uses Laguna Local, as evidenced by its popularity. Residents are already dealing with the fallout from overtourism. Daily, we battle bumper-to-bumper tourist traƯic, trash on beaches, graƯiti in our parks, and much more just to live here. Our streets are overwhelmed, especially in the summer. Parking is already at a premium. Why are it making it harder to leave cars in driveways? We would also like to know what percentage of the Laguna Local requests for service originate from the Laguna Canyon/El Toro Road area, for example? What are the costs associated with supporting that area 2 compared to others? Could on-demand pricing be employed for areas where there are comparatively few calls for service?
If most of the trips to and from are coming from particular neighborhoods, that’s a good indication that the system is working: it’s taking cars oƯ downtown streets and out of parking lots, providing a high value, resident-centric service.
This critical information doesn’t appear in the report. More data is needed before deciding to charge kids, seniors and taxpaying property owners for one of the few perks residents currently enjoy.
We understand and support reduction of the oƯ-season trolley.
We also agree that the trolley system shouldn't be used to bring still more day trippers from beyond city limits other than the OCTA Summer Breeze grant program from Irvine's Spectrum Terrace through the Canyon.
But we feel that once you start charging for this, it will never again be free for the kids who use it to get around town, for seniors, for anyone. Please reconsider this part of the proposal.
Trish and Mike Sweeney