Long Beach To Seal Beach Bus Routes End Soon

You can't get there from here ... by bus.

Starting Aug. 26, the Long Beach Transit authority is scheduled to stop extending route 131 and 171 bus service into Seal Beach. 

After the change, connections will be made through the Orange County Transportation Authority. 

The Orange County Register reported that bus riders and their supporters asked both Long Beach and Seal Beach city councils this week to help reach an agreement with Long Beach Transit to prevent the planned cuts to bus service between the two communities.

Based on comments made in May at a heated community meeting in Seal Beach, transit officials canceled plans to extend their bus service in Seal Beach and further eliminated existing bus routes in the city.

In June,  toward black residents and bus patrons in Long Beach.

However, some Long Beach transit officials say that it's a cost-cutting measure, not a matter of retribution over prejudice.

"This is not about unfortunate comments that were made," said Robyn Peterson, chief operations officer and senior vice president of Long Beach Transit, according to the Orange County Register. "This is not about racism. This is about economics." 

Transfer Connection Advice for OCTA route 1 and Long Beach Transit Routes 131 and 171, courtesy the City of Seal Beach:

1. From northbound OCTA route 1 to westbound LBT route 131, exit at the stop at Pacific Coast Highway and northwest Studebaker Road and wait at the same stop for westbound LBT route 131.
2. From northbound OCTA route 1 to westbound LBT route 171, transfer at the stop at 7th Street at the flood control channel. After exiting the bus, walk west about 200 feet to the LBT stop on the same side of the street.
   Transfer to route 171 here, rather than PCH at northwest Studebaker, because 1) route 171 serves 7th at the channel twice as often as it serves PCH at Studebaker and 2) route 171 does not serve PCH at Studebaker on weekends.
3. From eastbound LBT route 171 buses short-turning at Cal State University Long Beach to southbound OCTA route 1, exit at the stop on 7th at the channel and walk about 200 feet east to the OCTA stop.
4. From the eastbound LBT route 171 buses ending at the marketplace to southbound OCTA route 1, exit the bus at the last stop at PCH at Studebaker NW and cross the street to the OCTA Route 1 bus stop on the southeast corner of the street.
5. From eastbound LBT route 131 buses to the southbound OCTA route 1, exit at the stop on 2nd Street at southeast PCH and wait at the same stop for the southbound OCTA route 1 bus.
6. Riders on OCTA route 1 can also transfer to LBT routes 81 (peak hours only), 91, 92, 93, 94 and 96 (peak hours only) at 7th at Channel.
7. Riders on OCTA route 1 can also transfer to LBT route 121 (formerly Passport D) at 2nd at PCH.

For more information, call Long Beach Transit at (562) 591-2301 or the Orange County Transportation Authority at (714) 560-6282.

To read the full Orange County Register story, click here.