Let’s Go Costa Mesa! City launches free zero-emission, in-town ridesharing service

Costa Mesa officials Friday celebrated a new on-demand rideshare service that will transport seniors and residents with little to no access to a personal vehicle to a transit-rich area in town where they can shop, run errands or travel.

In a ceremony outside the Donald Dungan Library, city leaders unveiled a car and an ADA-accessible 10-passenger van (called the Goat), part of a small zero-emission fleet that can be accessed via telephone or smartphone app free of charge to anyone inside the service area during a three-year pilot program.

Called Let’s Go Costa Mesa, the offering is funded by a $1.5-million grant from California’s Clean Mobility Options program and available to community members in the city’s west side and College Park neighborhood, south of Joann Street.

Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens speaks Friday outside the Donald Dungan Library, near an ADA-accessible van dubbed the Goat.

(Courtesy of the city of Costa Mesa)

Unlike an Uber or Lyft — which transport passengers anywhere they wish to go — these vehicles have a dedicated team of drivers who take riders to stops within the area surrounding the East 17th Street shopping district, bordered by East 18th Street to the north and East 16th Street to the south.

“We’re trying to create some connectivity and independence for seniors and others who are disabled or cannot afford a vehicle,” Mayor John Stephens said after Friday’s event.

“This provides mobility for a whole demographic of folks who previously didn’t have it. It’s good for businesses, too, because it brings people into businesses who wouldn’t otherwise be there.”

Clean Mobility Options is a statewide initiative that funds zero-emission shared mobility projects aimed at serving under-resourced communities, particularly those that may lack transit options, and individuals who cannot walk to bus stops or other forms of public transportation.

Costa Mesa officials celebrate the launch of Let’s Go Costa Mesa, a free ridesharing service that connects people with mobility limitations to destinations in and around the city’s East 17th Street corridor.

(City of Costa Mesa)

The vehicles are furnished through a partnership with Florida-based Circuit Transit, Inc., which provides all-electric shuttle service for short local trips, and will focus on key destinations like healthcare, transportation hubs, grocery stories and senior living communities.

City officials applied for the grant in August 2023 and were approved that October. Stephens called Let’s Go Costa Mesa a great “gap filler” in the city’s menu of transportation options.

“We have pretty good ridership on bus lines throughout the city. We have a lot of protected bike lanes that we’ve put up in the last couple of years,” he said. “We’re trying to provide different opportunities for people to get around in ways that are environmentally conscious.”

The program began with a soft launch last week and is currently operating three vehicles that run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Residents can download the Ride Circuit app through Apple Store or Google Play, or can call the hotline at (949) 828-2065 to schedule a pickup.