the i – Irvine Shuttle

Fantastic — that’s all I have to say.
I needed to get from the airport to the Metrolink station, and was delighted to learn that the i could take me there.
This is designed for commuters, so it runs during peak commute times. The earliest afternoon shuttle from the airport is 3:40 (gets you to the Metrolink around 4:05). It costs $ 1. Heck, I’d be willing to pay more for it.
Clean, cool, comfy. I like!

One of the best city rub shuttle programs I have ever seen. Drivers are cool and are concerned about getting you there and keeping on schedule.

I currently work in the IBC — Irvine Business Center. That’s the part of Irvine that’s near John Wayne Airport. The poor neglected middle child of Irvine.
What do you mean Robert? You’re near the friggin’ airport!
True, but the Spectrum area gets all the attention. They have the train station, they have the cool shopping area. Sure, we’re close to south coast, and we have all those nifty protected right turns here, but public transportation from outside of Irvine kind of sucks for those of us that work or are starting to live here. Plus, we don’t have things like those Grade 1 bike trails that are available to the spectrumites (i.e. San Diego Creek).
Not no more.
Irvine recently got fundage from OCTA to start this nifty little shuttle service that runs on 3 routes:
the A — Route going from Tustin Metrolink to John Wayne
the B — Route going from Tustin Metrolink to Jamboree/​Michelson (Pacific Park Shopping Center)
the C — Route which runs around the heart of the IBC in a circle like a 5 year old manchild on a couple of pixie sticks.
So, it doesn’t go EVERYwhere, but it can get you close enough to where you’re going if you’re a commuter (like moi) who’s trying to drive less.
Since it’s a new service, everything is… well, new. The shuttles are nice and clean. They look like those «special» school buses, the type that almost look like they would do well in a «Mad Max» futuristic world with spikes and what not. I think the Bike Rack at the front really helps with that image.
Oh yeah, they have bike racks, so you can pedal your way from your stop to your work/​play area if you so desire. Really useful for those that pedal their way to Metrolink too.
All in all, I like it. Right now, rides are free until Sept 1^st 2008. Afterwards, the fee to ride breaks down like this:
$ 1.00 Boarding During Peak Period
(5:30a — 9:30a and 3:30p — 7:30p on Weekdays)
$.50
Boarding During Off-​Peak Period
(9:30a — 3:30p Weekdays & All Day Saturday and Sunday)
FREE
Riders Presenting Valid Metrolink Pass/​Ticket for Rider Connecting to and from Tustin Metrolink Station
Only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars? Limited run times (along with the limited train service Metrolink provides). I’d like to see more service (but that also goes with my want to see more trains).
However, for a start, it’s not bad =)