The city of West Hollywood is launching a new form of public transportation—and don’t you dare call it a bus. John Duran, WeHo’s mayor, said at a press event, “I told the transit department here in West Hollywood, if you call it a bus or a shuttle, people in West Hollywood are not going to say, ‘I’m riding the bus.’ It’s a branding issue.”
Designed to look like an old-fashioned trolley inside and out (well, except for the fuel-burning engine and tires, etc.), the shiny black Sunset Trip trolley cars are stylish enough to appeal even to people who are reluctant to take public transportation. Instead of using car-sharing services to get around on a night out, or worse, getting behind the wheel when you’re tipsy, hop on the trolley for a free ride. The new transport will carry passengers along Sunset Boulevard between Doheny and Fairfax, running every 15 minutes from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Sunset Trip expands on the success of the PickUp, a bright-yellow hop-on/hop-off trolley that offers free rides along Santa Monica Boulevard between Robertson Boulevard and La Brea Avenue. The PickUp runs Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Sundays from 2 to 10 p.m.
The new trolley connects with the PickUp’s route in two places—Santa Monica and Fairfax, and Santa Monica and San Vicente. Catch a ride to Chateau Marmont, Pinches Tacos, the Standard, the Comedy Store, the Viper Room, Catch L.A., or anywhere in between.
Courtesy Sunset Trip
The public is invited to a kick-off party for the Sunset Trip on Saturday, June 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1OAK (9039 W. Sunset Boulevard). Admission is free—and there’s a trolley stop at Sunset and Hammond, so it’s the perfect way to start a night out. For updates, visit the Sunset Trip website or follow the trolley on Twitter at @WeHoSunsetTrip.
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