Long Beach Public Transit & Micro-Transit

Getting around in Long Beach without a car is a breeze! In addition to being a top-ranked city for walkability, Long Beach also boasts an efficient public transit system as well as several other free and low-cost transportation options, including water taxis in the summer and free shuttles on weekends.

LONG BEACH TRANSIT

Long Beach Transit offers bus stops along all major streets and at local attractions like museums and the aquarium. A single fare is $1.25 and you can pay in cash using exact change when you board or use a pre-loaded TAP card to pay. Visit the Transit & Visitor Information Center (130 E 1st St) to purchase a TAP card or bus pass. You can also purchase a TAP card online, load it onto your smartphone, and tap to pay when you board. From the First Street Transit Gallery, you can also connect to the Metro A Line, which travels to Downtown Los Angeles.

CREDIT: Long Beach Transit

FREE PASSPORT BUS

Long Beach Transit also operates a free bus service called Passport throughout Downtown on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with stops at the Queen Mary, Pine Avenue, and Shoreline Village. Buses come every 15 minutes between 10AM and 8PM. Visit the website for route maps and details.

CREDIT: Long Beach Transit

FREE SHUTTLE

The Circuit shuttle serves Belmont Shore, Downtown Long Beach, and Alamitos Beach with electric golf cart-style vehicles. Service is on demand, similar to Uber and Lyft, and operates on Thursdays (4 to 10PM), Fridays (4 to 10PM), Saturdays (12 to 10PM), and Sundays (12 to 6PM). Download the Circuit app to request a free ride and see service maps. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available on request.

Credit: City of Long Beach

WATER TAXI

During the summer, Long Beach Transit offers two water taxis: the AquaLink and the AquaBus. You can ride the AquaLink from Alamitos Bay Landing to the Aquarium and the Queen Mary for $5. The AquaBus carries passengers to stops around Rainbow Harbor, including the Aquarium, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary. Tickets are $1 and one full round trip lasts about 20 minutes.

BIKESHARE & E-SCOOTERS

Bird, Lime, and VeoRide electric scooters are available in Long Beach through the city’s Micromobility Program. Both sitting and standing scooters are available–to find the nearest scooter and start riding, download the app from one of the vendors. Give cycling a spin through the Long Beach BikeShare program. Rent a blue eight-gear bike equipped with an adjustable seat, basket, bell and lights, plus a GPS. The bikes can be picked up and dropped off at any designated hub. Then, you can check out Long Beach’s bike paths, including the popular three-mile paved Shoreline Path on the beach that connects the downtown area to Belmont Shore.

METRO

From the First Street Transit Gallery in Downtown Long Beach, you can board the Metro A Line, which travels to Downtown Los Angeles and connects to rail lines that travel to Santa Monica, Hollywood, and attractions like the Crypto.com Arena and Universal Studios. Pay your fare at the kiosks on the platform with a TAP card, cash, Apple Wallet or TAP app.

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About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.