Circuit Beach Bug shuttles offered their last rides in Pacific Beach on Oct. 31.

But not to worry, after a test pilot of the beach shuttle this year, the City is laying the groundwork for bringing it back soon in a more permanent form.

“Over the past 15 months, the Beach Bug has transported more than 45,000 people in PB – your neighbors, visitors, and workers – to and from your favorite PB destinations,” noted Pacific Beach Town Council President Charlie Nieto. “And while the program has been extremely popular and well-received, the City has concluded the Beach Bug pilot program.”

Added Nieto: “From the start, the program had a finite amount of time and resources to provide this service, and it has been an overwhelming success for many reasons. Among them are the valuable insights and data gathered throughout its run. This information will be used to assist the City in making plans for a permanent project in the future. That said, we are truly sad to see our Beach Bugs go. We remain optimistic about future mobility projects in PB that can further help residents and visitors navigate our lovely beach town.”

Replying to a query about the future of PB’s Beach Bug shuttle, the City Department of Sustainability & Mobility said: “Our goal is to bring the Pacific Beach shuttle back next year with improved, sustained service to residents and visitors.”

In its reply, the City noted a lot of data was gathered during the shuttle pilot about the needs of the riders and the community, pointing out that “many lessons were learned, including the importance of schedule flexibility to accommodate seasonal changes to community needs and responsiveness to user feedback. We also learned that effective collaboration with local businesses and community organizations, and other robust marketing efforts, is crucial for ridership and helps spread the word about available services.”

The City added that all the information collected during the beach shuttle pilot is being used to prepare a Request For Proposals (RFP) “which should be released in the coming weeks. Once sustainable funding sources are identified, the City’s goal is to select an operator(s) via a competitive process and start a new, long-term shuttle program in Pacific Beach and other interested communities shortly afterward.”

The Beach Bug electric shuttles provided easy access around Pacific Beach during its trial run. Krystal Ayala, curb space and parking program manager for the City Department of Sustainability and Mobility, early-on noted results indicated the shuttle had succeeded in reducing demand for parking while making it more convenient to take public transit to the beach.

“The PB community and the PB Community Parking District have long advocated for a convenient shuttle option in the area, and this pilot has been well received by residents, businesses, and visitors,” Ayala said, adding the City closely monitored rider feedback on the Beach Bug app after patrons completed their rides.“The Beach Bug is yet another example of how the City is exploring innovative pilots to help expand mobility options within the City that support our Climate Action Plan goals,” Ayala said.

In its update of the CAP in August 2022, the City reiterated its goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2035.

One hundred percent renewable energy means getting all energy from renewable resources – sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat – to be used for electricity, heating, cooling, and transport.

Net zero applies to bringing global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity into balance with emissions reductions. At net zero, carbon dioxide emissions are still generated, but an equal amount of carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere as it is released into it, resulting in a zero increase in net emissions.