Coronado residents who rode the free Island Express electric shuttle in 2024 would pay $4.50 or more per trip if the program returns next summer.

The Coronado City Council discussed renewing the door-to-door electric mini-shuttle at its Oct. 20 meeting but deferred a final vote, as first reported by The Coronado News. Council members directed staff to continue working on the proposal. No date for a follow-up vote has been announced.

As we reported Oct. 21, the council advanced the rideshare pilot at that same meeting. The shuttle details below fill in the financial picture staff presented.

What the 2024 pilot showed

The Island Express operated as a free, dial-a-ride electric vehicle service in the summer and fall of 2024. It logged almost 53,000 rides in the Village and 5,500 in the Coronado Cays over six months, according to the city staff report.

Those rides cost the city an average of $7 per person in the Village and $29 per person in the Cays.

Proposed fares and cost-sharing

Council member Downey suggested charging passengers 50% of the ride cost, with a $1 discount for Coronado residents, The Coronado News reported. Without the discount, that works out to roughly $4.50 per Village ride and more than $14 for trips to and from the Cays.

Council member Mark Fleming questioned how the city's per-ride costs would change once passengers share the expense.

New operator, year-round service

City staff recommended Crosby Street Transit LLC, also known as VIA, after issuing a request for proposals. VIA already operates local transit programs in San Diego and El Cajon. The proposed contract would run year-round, a shift from the 2024 pilot's six-month season.

The total annual contract cost has not been publicly disclosed.

Funding gap

The city applied for a grant through the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), but Senior Planner Tricia Olsen reported that SANDAG did not recommend Coronado's proposal for funding.

Olsen pointed to $300,000 allocated for community projects through Discover Coronado as a potential source. The exact nature of that allocation and any conditions on its use have not been detailed publicly.

"Everybody up here on the dias would like to do this if it's financially feasible," Downey said, according to The Coronado News. "We need to look for other funding sources."

No date has been set for the council's next vote on the shuttle program.