The Irvine Connect is a free shuttle service provided by the City of Irvine, California serving its local communities.[1]

History

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The Irvine Connect was initiated by the city of Irvine as a means of addressing transportation needs for residents.[2] The first day of service for the Irvine Connect was on April 1st, 2024.[3] Irvine plans to run the service until March 31, 2025.[4] If there is enough ridership on the route, it will become a permanent route.[5] While some of the route on the Irvine Connect shares transfers with the OC Bus, majority of the route goes to communities that don’t get transit service.

The Irvine Connect was originally supposed to start in January, however delays of the launch were pushed back to April due to delay in the design process of the new bus stops.

The Irvine Connect buses have free WiFi onboard and passengers may bring small pets onboard as long as they are in pet carriers.[6]

Irvine Connect is different from the iShuttle, as the service is meant to serve residents.

Route

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The frequency of the service is 20 minutes each direction, and runs from 6 am to 8 pm on weekdays, and 8 am to 10 pm on weekends.[7] The Irvine Connect will not operate on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Christmas Day.

The Irvine Connect stops at:

Bus fleet

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Irvine Connect uses the StarCraft AllStar XL cutaway buses, that are built on Ford F-550 Chassis. Originally, these buses were used on the iShuttle. They can carry 25 passengers, and are wheelchair accessible.[8] In addition, LAZ Transportation Services also has two of their buses used on the Irvine Connect route.

References

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  1. ^ "Irvine CONNECT". 13 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Here's How To Use Irvine's Free Daily Shuttle Service". 2024-03-31.
  3. ^ "New Irvine Connect shuttle helps residents get around town". 2024-03-08.
  4. ^ "Irvine's new, free shuttle service is almost ready for passengers". 2024-02-29.
  5. ^ "Irvine Launches New Shuttle System as OC Bus Service Continues Shrinking". 2024-04-12.
  6. ^ "City of Irvine to Launch Irvine CONNECT Shuttle Service". 2024-04-01.
  7. ^ "City of Irvine Launches New Shuttle Service, Irvine CONNECT". 2024-04-20.
  8. ^ "Irvine Connect Flyer PDF". 13 February 2024.