Balboa Peninsula Trolley ‘airport shuttles’ to be replaced with vehicles modeled after historic electric rail cars

Newport Beach officials approved plans to replace the vehicles that look like “airport shuttles� running the Balboa Peninsula Trolley’s routes with some that are reminiscent of electric rail cars from the early 20th century, and they extended the local transit program for another seven years.

The City Council awarded a $3,897,747 contract to LAZ Parkling California LLC at a meeting Tuesday. The company has been operating the Balboa Peninsula Trolley for the past seven years and also runs other shuttle services in Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Clemente and Irvine.

The city is contributing $641,027 in funding for the program. The remaining $3,274,720 is being covered by a grant via the Orange County Trasportation Authority.

The Balboa Peninsula Trolley currently operates during summer weekends and reaches 22 stops mostly along Balboa Avenue and Newport Boulevard. It carries about 20,000 riders each year, according to city staff reports.

The service had made use of shuttle vans similar to what rental car companies and hotels use to transport people to and from airports. The contract approved Tuesday sets aside over $1.67 million for the purchase of new vehicles to replace them.

The new shuttles are partially open to the environment, allowing riders to get fresh air and take in the atmosphere of the Peninsula. They are powered by compressed natural gas and modeled after vintage cable cars. It will take about a year to build them, so those won’t go into service until 2026.

A rough example of shuttles modeled after classic rail cars that will go into service in Newport Beach the summer of 2026.

(Courtesy of the city of Newport Beach via YouTube)

“We’ve referred to this as the ‘airport shuttle’ for a long time because I look at a lot of friends up and down the peninsula who would never get on the current shuttle we’re operating,� Councilman Noah Blom said during a study session in September regarding the renewal of the trolley. “But somehow, when we have an open air red car, I believe we would.�

At that study session, council members and city officials also discussed the possibility of expanding routes to reach Mariners Mile, Corona Del Mar and Newport Center. The cost of additional vehicles staffing and infrastructure to do so could cost roughly between $2 million and $4.7 million, depending on trip frequency and scheduling.

“I’m very excited about the prospect of a citywide trolley system for Newport both for residents and for visitors,� Councilwoman Lauren Kleiman said in September. “The idea that we can spend less time in our cars, that we can amenity-hop throughout the city, that we can support our local businesses and relieve our neighborhoods from some of the parking burdens that exist, I’m all for.�