PCH and the 405 are jammed. Could a new 'Blue Highway' be the answer? (2025)

There’s nothing quite as soul-sucking as crawling along the San Diego Freeway or Pacific Coast Highway, trying to make your way up or down the picturesque Los Angeles County coast. The ocean beckons somewhere out there, but it’s hard to imagine when you’re drowning in a sea of red taillights.

But now a group of entrepreneurs believe they have an alternative. The innovators intend to launch a ferry service to allow tourists, day-trippers and even commuters to travel the coast with lower stress and in higher style. They plan to call it the Blue Highway.

A partnership called Pier to Pier hopes to begin the service this year, with high-speed ferries connecting Marina del Rey, Santa Monica and Malibu, a total distance of 17 nautical miles. The operators eventually would like to expand the service to Long Beach and perhaps south to Newport Beach and as far north as Santa Barbara.

An ocean-bound alternative to the coast’s asphalt madness has been proposed many times over the decades. In 1979, the California Department of Transportation briefly operated a ferry connecting Malibu and Santa Monica after a landslide blocked PCH for weeks. But regular ferry service has not gained traction the way it has in the Pacific coast’s other great cities such as San Francisco and Seattle.

“We need to have an alternative to the freeway and Pacific Coast Highway,” said Patricia Keeney Maischoss, chair of Pier to Pier. “And what runs parallel, all along the coast? The ocean. You can get there on water faster than you can drive.”

Pier to Pier estimates that the ride between the Santa Monica and Malibu piers will take 24 minutes, not counting the time for passengers to enter and exit the boats. That’s a tough time to beat on the road, especially with the coast highway still jammed with cleanup and construction crews after the January fire disaster. PCH has been reduced to one lane in each direction for part of that stretch and the speed limit has been cut to 25 mph.

Proponents say the ferry is a natural for making connections to other forms of public transportation, including the Metro Exposition line, the light rail line that ends just three blocks east of the Santa Monica Pier. Pier to Pier envisions connections at other landings too, including a shuttle to take travelers from a dock in Marina del Rey to Los Angeles International Airport.

Sport fishing boats once regularly departed from the Santa Monica and Malibu piers. But the sports fishing heyday ended years ago.

The Santa Monica Pier would need to install a rising-tide gangway to get passengers down to the ferry boats. Seas around the dock would be calmed considerably if the city goes ahead with repairs to the breakwater outside the pier — work that has been postponed for decades. A ferry wouldn’t even hazard a stop on the roughest days, potentially limiting the ships’ utility for regular commuters.

Santa Monica “is still in the early stages of assessing the feasibility of such a ferry service and docking area,” said city spokesperson Lauren Howland. The pier at Malibu and boat terminals at Marina del Rey already are outfitted for ferry service. Malibu residents have voiced support, as have some county and state officials.

Pier to Pier has pledged to pay for the gangway and the breakwater repair, said Maischoss, a former executive recruiter and Los Angeles native who spends many of her nonwork hours stand-up padding beside the Malibu Pier. As planning continues, the fledgling company has launched a survey to learn more about commuters’ needs.

The company is in talks with a pair of veteran ferry operators about running the Santa Monica Bay ferries. Fares remain to be determined. But the charges levied by other West Coast operators might give a clue. The 8.6-mile ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island costs $10.25 for adults. The 35-minute ride from Larkspur in Marin County to San Francisco’s Ferry Building goes more than 15 miles, for $14, with discounts for regular riders.

“The message we want to send to L.A. is, this is real. This is happening. We can serve people on this beautiful Blue Highway,” Maischoss said. Kevin Keegan, who is helping rally support in Malibu, said the ferry service “offers a path forward and a sense of hope for renewal in our region.“

Today’s top stories

Trump’s deployment of military troops to Los Angeles was illegal, a judge rules

• A federal judge has barred soldiers from aiding immigration arrests and other civilian law enforcement in Southern California, warning of a growing “national police force with the President as its chief” in an impassioned order set to take effect Sept. 12.
• The ruling comes as hundreds of troops now patrol the United States capital, after an order by the president in mid-August deploying the National Guard to tamp down crime in D.C.
• The government called California’s suit a “Hail-Mary pass” and vowed to fight the decision.

As a COVID wave washes over California, some health officials urge residents to mask up

• With the state seeing continued increases in the number of newly confirmed cases and hospitalizations, some officials are urging the public to take greater precautions.
• California currently has “high” coronavirus levels in sewage, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• And increases are being seen across the Golden State, from Los Angeles County to the San Francisco Bay Area to areas around the state capital.

A heat wave gives way to late-summer thunderstorms as California’s extreme weather continues

• Scorching temperatures that baked Southern California over Labor Day weekend will continue this week paired with thunderstorms and lightning strikes that will heighten fire risks across much of the state.
• Lightning paired with potential wind gusts of up to 50 mph and high temperatures reaching into the triple digits in some areas will significantly raise fire concerns through at least Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

What else is going on

• This California highway is a lifeline, and deadly. Can it be fixed before it falls into the sea?
• Think attendance is bad at the Rose Bowl? It may be worse than you imagined.
• Disney to pay $10 million over alleged violations of children’s online privacy.
• Walmart+ adds Peacock to streaming offerings to better compete with Amazon Prime.
• “Saturday Night Live” announces new cast members for Season 51 after a series of departures.
• Burning Man was crazier than usual this year with a murder mystery, “demonic” claims and a surprise birth.

Commentary and opinions

• I got COVID for the first time and can’t smell. But RFK Jr.’s vaccine policies still stink, writes columnist Steve Lopez.
• Fabulously wealthy and politically lame — columnist Mark Z. Barabak offers a brief history of California politics.
• Woody Allen praised the president as “polite” and “a pleasure to work with.” News and culture critic Lorraine Ali asks, But why would Trump even want Allen on his side?

This morning’s must reads

Other must reads

• What’s behind Clayton Kershaw’s pitching revival in his 18th season? “The bowl.”
• The Joan raises its curtains after a massive overhaul of the dilapidated Navy facility.

For your downtime

Going out

• Art: 11 art shows to see in and around L.A. this fall, including two that should top your list.
• Music: 11 fall classical music highlights, including Gustavo Dudamel’s farewell season at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
• Nightlife: The Eaton fire tore a music community apart. South Pasadena’s Sid the Cat Auditorium may help revive it.

Staying in

• Books: 30 books to read this fall, including stories about talking corpses, cemetery folklore and the darkest days of World War II.
• Recipes: Here’s a recipe for Moo’s Craft BBQ beef ribs.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

A question for you: What fall TV shows are you most excited for?

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

Danny Sinclair, right, and Georgia Altmayer pick up trash along Sherman Way in Winnetka.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Christina House on a street in Winnetka where a volunteer group of mainly retirees is devoted to cleaning up the dirty streets of L.A.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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