Transportation & Accessibility

Santa Monica is a walkable seaside city, making getting around during a meeting, incentive or leisure stay extremely convenient. Plenty of public transportation options provide easy access locally and to the greater Los Angeles area and Southern California destinations. Here are five easy ways to go car-free in Santa Monica.

Walk Santa Monica

Just 8.3 square miles, many of Santa Monica’s attractions, retail and dining spots can be easily reached by a short walk. Walking the streets that feature large, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks is a great way to experience the local neighborhoods.

Bike Santa Monica

Between the 22-mile long Marvin Braude Bike Trail and the many miles of green bike lanes throughout the city, there are plenty of routes to get around Santa Monica via bicycle. Visit our Bike Santa Monica page for information on bike rentals.

group biking
beach biking trail

Metro E Light Rail

The Metro E Line connects Santa Monica by light rail to Downtown Los Angeles in under 50 minutes. With three stations located throughout Santa Monica – from the downtown neighborhood to Mid-City – the Metro E Line is a great way to travel within the destination, and to connect to and from Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, South Bay, Long Beach and dozens of points in between.

santa monica transportation

Santa Monica Bus

The Big Blue Bus departs the LAX City Bus Center via Route 3 or Rapid 3; this is a great option to reach Santa Monica from LAX. Tickets are just $1.25. Once in Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus is also a very efficient way to get around.

Santa Monica Circuit

Pedestrians can use an app to hail the Santa Monica Circuit, golf cart–style cabs that offer a complimentary lift anywhere in their service area between Wilshire Boulevard and Marine Street, and from the ocean to 5th Street. Carts operate from 11:30am to 9pm, daily. Many local hotels also offer car service around town.

santa monica free transportation

Electric Scooters and Bikes

Spin, Veo and Wheels are the e-scooter and bike app brands operating in Santa Monica. Spin offers 2- and 3-wheeled stand up scooters, Veo offers 2-wheeled stand up scooters and Class 2 e-bikes and Wheels offers 2-wheeled sit-down scooters.

Safety First

Whether getting around in a car, on a train, bike, electric scooter or on foot, Santa Monica always emphasizes Safety First! Be sure to read our safety tips to help you navigate the city.

For more information on mobility opportunities throughout Santa Monica, visit the City of Santa Monica’s website.

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