Cheap beach buses

This is a tad late but still really useful. There are a number of buses that help bored teens and hooky-playing-adults get to the beach cheaply. Not only can you zone out on the ride, but you don't have to pay for parking!

Here's the low down from the MTA: The Topanga Canyon Summer Beach Bus starts at the Metro Orange Line in Warner Center in Woodland Hills and goes to Topanga State Beach, Will Rogers State Beach and Santa Monica State Beach. Catch the shuttle Monday through Saturday through September 1 for 50-cents each way. That's so cheap I feel like I'm in grade school! The shuttle makes three trips a day in each direction.

Calabasas runs a beach bus that runs Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until August 27. It is $2 round trip or $1 one way. Exact change and picture ID required. For information call (818) 880-6461.

Agoura Hills runs a beach bus Monday through Friday until August 22. It is $1 each way and photo ID is required. Pickups are from different schools and drop off is at tower 6 at Zuma Beach.

The DWP runs a site that shows the timetables and fares for bus lines from Santa Clarita, East LA, Antelope Valley, Altadena, La Crescenta, Charter Oak and Topanga Canyon. All go to Santa Monica beaches.

Other beach bound buses:

+Metro Rapid Lines 704 from Union Station to the Santa Monica Pier.
+Metro Line 720 from the City of Commerce to the Santa Monica Pier.
+Metro Rapid Express Line 920 from Wilshire go to the Santa Monica Pier.
+Metro Line 4 from downtown to Santa Monica Pier.
+Metro Line 534, from Fairfax and Washington to Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica State Beach, Will Rogers State Beach and Topanga Beach.
+Metro Line 33 to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier from Union Station.
+ The Metro Green Line to Douglas Station where it meets Metro Line 125 to Manhattan State Beach.
+ The Metro Blue Line from downtown Los Angeles to Long Beach.

UPDATE: Moorpark has a bus to Zuma Beach that runs every Tuesday and Thursday until August 26. It is $3 round trip.