Calif. city with America's most expensive ZIP code now offers free beach trolley

The Balboa Peninsula Trolley in Newport Beach returns May 23 and provides free rides along the peninsula on weekends through Sept. 7, with added service on major summer holidays. The route starts near Tustin Avenue and Avon Street in Mariners' Mile, where riders can access free parking at the Avon Street lot using promo code “TROLLEY26” through ParkMobile. The loop includes 22 designated stops and uses four trolleys on standard weekends, with a fifth added on holidays. City officials estimate arrivals every 15 minutes, with slower service possible during heavy traffic. Real-time tracking is available online and via the TripShot app. Riders can bring bicycles, surfboards under six feet, beach gear, and luggage for Catalina Island ferry connections.

"The Balboa Peninsula Trolley service returns May 23 and will operate weekends through Sept. 7, along with service on major summer holidays including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. The system is designed to move beachgoers around the peninsula without forcing them into the notoriously brutal hunt for parking."

"“The Balboa Peninsula Trolley is a free service to get you easily moving around the Peninsula without having to pay for parking or worry about finding a place to park,” the city announced. The trolley route will again begin near the intersection of Tustin Avenue and Avon Street in Mariners' Mile, where riders can also access free parking at the Avon Street lot by using the promo code “TROLLEY26” through ParkMobile."

"From there, the route loops through the peninsula with 22 designated stops. Four trolleys will operate during standard weekends, with a fifth added on holidays. City officials estimate arrivals every 15 minutes, though they warned service may slow during heavy traffic periods - an almost inevitable reality on summer weekends in the affluent Orange County enclave. Real-time trolley tracking is available online and through the TripShot mobile app."

"The city said riders can bring bicycles using front-mounted racks, surfboards shorter than six feet, beach gear and even luggage for trips connecting to Catalina Island ferries. The service traces back more than a decade to efforts aimed at reducing gridlock and reviving commercial activity along the peninsula."

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