Newport Beach visitors – and residents – know the challenges of driving on the Balboa Peninsula during the summer weekends, and finding a parking spot can be next to impossible.
Good news: the City of Newport Beach is bringing back the Balboa Peninsula Trolley starting Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 28), with free service continuing throughout the summer on weekends and holidays.
Beginning this Saturday, the trolley service will be available from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays as well as Memorial Day (May 30), Independence Day (July 4), and Labor Day (September 5).
Not only is the trolley free, it’s a fun way to get up and down the peninsula.
A total of four trolleys will be operating each day, although a fifth may be added on holidays. There are 22 designated stops along the trolley route. Trolleys are scheduled to arrive in 15-minutes intervals, which can vary slightly depending on traffic conditions. Riders can climb aboard or exit the trolley at any of the stops along the way to and from the Balboa Pier and Fun Zone area.
For those planning a day at the beach, the trolley can accommodate bicycles, surfboards under six-feet long, and beach gear.
Trolley riders traveling from outside the area can utilize free parking at the City’s Avon Street municipal parking lot located near the Tustin Avenue and Avon Street intersection within Mariners’ Mile along Coast Highway. That is stop one for the Trolley route, and a convenient place to park.
This service is provided by the City of Newport Beach and funded through grants from the Orange County Transportation Authority (Measure M2 funds).
For more information visit www.newportbeachca.gov/trolley. Once at that web page, download the “ParkMobile” app and set up your profile (vehicle make, model and license plate) in advance. Then, when you board the trolley, enter the code “TROLLEY22” to receive free parking (otherwise there is an hourly fee). Note: This parking code is valid in the Avon Street Parking Lot only.
According to the website, riders can view real-time trolley locations online at www.peninsulatrolley.com or on a mobile app. To download the app, search for “Ride Systems” in the app store and download. Once installed, search for “Newport Beach” from the list of agencies and get ready to ride.
