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# New shuttle proposed for Santa Monica Mountains
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/new-shuttle-proposed-for-santa-monica-mountains/
- Published: 2002-05-15T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:17:04.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: local, Malibu, #archive-import

*New shuttle loops around Santa Monica mountains*

It could be less of a hike to the Santa Monica Mountains by the end of the summer.

The National Parks Service is proposing a shuttle bus that would loop through the Santa Monica Mountains, linking parking areas with recreational areas.

Plans for the service are nearly complete and the operation could be up and running by fall, park officials said.

The shuttle service is only the beginning of what park officials hope to achieve. They envision a ferry service in the next couple years that would connect Santa Monica and Malibu Piers with Point Dume Beach.

“It would be a beautiful view of the mountains from the water,” said National Parks Service spokesman Charles Taylor. “It would probably be the cheapest date in Los Angeles.”

The shuttle bus service was started with $250,000 in federal, state and county funding.

“We were looking for transportation alternatives in the mountains,” Taylor said. “Part of it is that we want to relieve some of the congestion on the roads.”

The shuttle would start near the Malibu Pier, head north on Malibu Canyon Road, then east on Mulholland Highway to Kanan Dumo Road. The bus would then head south to the Pacific Coast Highway, which would go back to the pier.

Stops are planned at both ends of the Backbone Trail, Tapla Park, Malibu Creek State Park, Rocky Oaks and at Zuma and Point Dume beaches — to name a few.

The buses, which park officials believe would carry as many as 10,000 passengers a day during the summer months, would run on compressed natural gas. They will be equipped to carry mountain bikes, surfboards, sea kayaks and other equipment.

The service would initially use four buses, providing hourly service in both directions. Because of overlapping bus routes, the maximum wait between shuttles would be between 30-45 minutes, park officials said.

Initial fares for the bus would be $2 per trip or $5 for an unlimited travel pass. Kids would ride for free and anyone who parks in a county or state parking lot would receive a credit toward their bus fare.

The National Parks Service’s expanded bus routes already have been planned to connect existing bus stops in the San Fernando Valley to bus stops in Santa Monica.

“The idea is that we wanted to plug into public transportation,” Taylor said. “Right now there isn’t a very good way to get into the park by public transportation, and we’re hoping to help solve part of that.”

The Malibu City Council reviewed the plan on Monday. City officials say they support the plan, but want a few added stops such as the oldest house in Malibu, one of the city’s landmarks.

“We just think there are features of the city that should be included in the park’s routes,” said Chuck Bergson, Malibu’s public works director. “They are trying to highlight the ocean and mountain recreation areas, and we believe those (sites) should be included as part of that.”

Taylor said the shuttle service would act almost as a tour guide, by providing information about what activities are available in the park.

“It’s an experience for people who want to do something in the park but don’t know what to do, or where to start,” Taylor said. “It’s like a long-guided tour.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/051502-01_01.jpg)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 15, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051502.pdf?ref=smdp.com)