Passengers in the downtown San Diego area are lamenting the fact that their low-cost rideshares in Circuit electric shuttles could soon come to a screeching halt at the end of this month.
“No way,” Angela Milner said. “Are you serious?”
Milner is one of the 78,000 passengers that the city of San Diego says were shuttled around downtown by Circuit this fiscal year. For some of those passengers, bussing and walking isn’t necessarily an option.
“This helps a lot, especially being disabled,” Milner said. “I have sciatica and back problems, so it helps where the busses don’t take you. It’s very helpful.”
The $2.50 per ride program apparently fell victim to the city’s nearly $260 million budget shortfall. A spokesperson sent NBC 7 the following statement:
“With limited funding available in the upcoming fiscal year, the City is prioritizing the use of downtown parking meter revenues for necessary safety and infrastructure improvements like streetlight repairs in FY26.
“The City is continuing to explore viable funding options and program structures to provide mobility services like circulators and shuttles citywide. Managing the FRED program has given the City years of valuable experience and extensive data to inform future program iterations.”
Driving for Circuit is a second job for Irma Fernandez that helps her make ends meet. While her future’s uncertain, she worries what the potential end of the affordable rideshare service will mean for the passengers she’s made friends with.
“Some of them that live downtown are older and live on a budget,” Fernandez said. “It’s bad for them because Lyft and others, when there are games, it goes up for them, so they can’t afford to take it, so this was convenient.”
The FRED program — later renamed Circuit — debuted downtown in August 2016. It uses parking meter revenue to help subsidize the cost. Offered as an affordable, eco-friendly way to get around neighborhoods, the program spread to Pacific Beach in 2023.
While that program was shuttered late last year, other free and affordable ride programs from different companies continue in places like North Park and City Heights.
Geovanna Medel and her dog take Circuit about four days a week. While riding back home from the grocery store, the law school student says she’s hoping the city works out some kind of compromise.
“Consider that there are students who rely on this and people that rely on this transportation to go to work. A lot of us our lower income, so just bare in mind we could use this assistance, and I’m sad to hear it go,” Medel said.
June 30 is supposed to be Circuit’s last day of operation, but there still may be some hope. The city says, “There’s room in the contract for an extension, but they haven’t decided whether to pursue that option.”
Circuit says it’s looking for partners to help continue the program.