For some time prominent among the list of study tours we have contemplated undertaking was an exploration of Laguna Beach Transit. This small system is
unique as the only municipal transit system to exist in Orange County. It was to satisfy our curiosity about this singular entity that we set Saturday May 31 as the day when we would finally explore Laguna Beach Transit. Mark Strickert kindly volunteered to act as trip planner and prepared his usual meticulous itinerary.

Members in the L.A. area utilizing Amtrak for the first part of the trip rendezvoused at Union Station and took the southbound Pacific Surfliner 566, departing at 8:30 a.m. Members and guests riding the train included Kymberleigh Richards, Ken Ruben, John Ulloth, Woody Rosner, Art Tomlin and Ed Gills. At Fullerton Mark Strickert joined us. Kym shared her new breakfast treat, milk and cereal bars, which she found more appealing than the Chex Morning Mix she used to share out. At 9:24 a.m. we arrived at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center. After taking advantage of the facilities therein we made our way thru the parking lot to reach the bus stop near the intersection of Santa Ana Blvd. and Santiago.

At 9:53 a.m. we boarded OCTA route 205, #5364 a low floor New Flyer, which had 24 passengers (all ride counts exclude trip participants) - a seated load! This bus lived up to its express status as it whizzed onto the 5 freeway and zoomed southward. We found already aboard the bus snug in the back Ed Buckley, Lionel Jones and Andy Novak. We deboarded at El Toro and Valencia near Paseo de Valencia. This was your typical suburban shopping area with a Longs Drugs and (of course) a Starbucks. Kym noted the bus shelter we waited at was maintained by a division of Clear Channel, whose radio empire she openly derides.

10:32 a.m. we boarded OCTA route 89, #5377 another low floor New Flyer, with 9 passengers. 7 more boarded at the next step adjacent to Leisure World (aka
Laguna Woods). Sighted along the roadside: a Golf Cart crossing warning. For the next few stops there was steady activity with passengers boarding and deboarding. Now we entered Laguna Canyon, green from recent rains. Among the sights: a traffic officer on a motorcycle placed strategically to catch speeding drivers. At 10:55 a.m. we arrived at Laguna Beach Transit Center.

A quick reconnoiter of the Transit Center revealed many favorable features: it was in the center of downtown from which one could easily walk to much of the shopping district plus the local post office and public library. The OCTA buses had ample bays for their layovers. There were numerous benches for the weary awaiting a bus plus a shelter that offered protection from the elements. Around the corner was a shop to purchase refreshments and munchies. Plus restrooms and public telephones mere steps away.

At this point Jan Hawkes came up and introduced herself. Ms. Hawkes oversees the transit system and when Mark contacted her about our plans was intrigued enough to come on a Saturday to meet us and share insights gained during her 12 years with the system. Her suggestion was we ride with driver Ron Ruhman, who she assured us is their best vehicle operator. To reduce driver fatigue the three routes are interlined, taking advantage of timed transfers that have the three routes meet at the Transit Center. So we could ride the entire system with the same driver and vehicle (#110, El Dorado National). Ms. Hawkes informed us the fleet consists of 6 mini-buses plus 10 trolleys used during the tourist season. The minibuses seat 22 passengers and the routes are 10-14 miles in length. Also they accept OCTA day passes as transfer fare, so most of us flashed the day passes we bought earlier and boarded.

The first route we rode was the Red, which mostly operates along Pacific Coast Highway. We passed a variety of shops that lined PCH. Passengers greeted each other as they boarded. Soon we caught our first sight of the Sea. This bus actually filled up and had some standees for part of the trip (of the three routes this one was the most heavily used one we rode). Our first deviation from PCH was to go through the parking lot of a Shopping Center. As two ladies deboarded to shop we warned them due to operator's upcoming lunch break they needed to catch us on our return trip in about 20 minutes or wait 2 hours for the next bus.

Our next deviation was along a narrow residential street to serve the entrance of South Coast Medical Center. We then continued along PCH until we reached the famous Ritz Carlton, at which we went through a loop and retraced our route along PCH. Happily we picked up both ladies at the Shopping Center (as one put it "I couldn't stay on my feet for two hours waiting!"). Upon our arrival at the Transit Center Mr. Ruhman announced he was going on his lunch break. It sounded like a good idea and we followed him to a nearby food court which obviously is a favorite of the locals. The choices included Sammy's (a hamburger place), Taco Mesa and Chinese Combo. The consensus after the repast was overall the food was good and reasonably priced.

Next we rode the Grey route. This brought us into residential neighborhoods and winding narrow streets that climbed upward toward what is known as "Top of the World". We passed multi-million dollar houses precariously perched on the hilltop and caught sight of the spectacular vista that had led people to desire an abode in such a dizzying location - Laguna far below with the sea as an awe inspiring backdrop stretching to the horizon. One imagined at night it would be an awesome sight. After returning to downtown we climbed more hills, passing heritage houses that had been designated by the city and had plaques proclaiming the year they had been built. Another highlight was going down the steep grade (24%) at Viejo Street. Then we wound along the beach, catching sight of a crowded basketball court, on our trip back to downtown.

After a brief respite at the Transit Center we started on the last route to explore: the Blue. This one had many ups and downs. Mr. Ruhman pointed our Moss Point, at which luminaries like President Roosevelt once relaxed, just before we began a long climb up a steep 20% grade. Again we were crawling along hilltops with spectacular views and houses whose worth was only exceeded by the ridiculous way they clung to the hillside, often held up by stilts while perched in mid-air. At one point vehicles were parked on both sides of the street leaving only a narrow space between them. Mr. Ruhman skillfully made it thru with hardly 1/2" clearance. And then we were back at the Transit Center. We bid Mr., Ruhman a fond farewell, and joined the crowd waiting for the next OCTA route 89 bus.

This was #5339 a low floor New Flyer with a standing load. After arriving at Laguna Hills Transportation Center we caught OCTA route 205, #5364 a New Flyer with 34 passengers. Some got off at Santa Ana Transit Station to take Amtrak back. Ed Buckley and Mark Strickert dropped off at their respective connection points to continue home via transit or auto. The rest of us went to the East Shuttle area at Disneyland and caught MTA line 460 with a broken farebox, #7476 a NABI to downtown or the Green Line.