Business & Tech
All Aboard: Santa Cruz Trolley Shuttles Between Downtown and Boardwalk
The natural gas powered vehicle, which holds 29 people, will stop at the Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Ave., on the hour and 30 minutes after the hour and then at the Municipal Wharf on Beach Street, at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour.
The ribbon was cut and Santa Cruz's 1930s style transit trolley was launched Thursday at 5:30 to the applause of sponsors and officials.
OK, it's a bus that looks like a trolley, but in its first shakedown week before the launch, it has been pretty much filled, with 25 people a trip on the weekend. See the route here.
So far, $40,000 of the $70,000 cost of running it has been picked up by sponsors, including the Beach Boardwalk and Barry Swenson Builders as main sponsors and others such as Hula's Island Grill, Kianti's Pizza & Pasta Bar, Ideal Fish, Nut Kreations, Cafe Pergolisi, Penny Ice Creamery and Red Restaurant and Bar.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
Mayor Ryan Coonerty said the trolley reflects the spirit of fun that is Santa Cruz, as well as providing an essential service to get tourists to some of the main points in town.
The bus dressed up as a trolley has actually been in the city for a decade. It was bought by the city and Santa Cruz Metro as a parking shuttle, but it never caught on.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
The Downtown Association has been wanting a shuttle for a long time, and when another city made an offer to purchase the vehicle, the Redevelopment Association stepped in and bought it and turned it over to a consortium to run. The contract to drive the bus went to First Transit, formerly Laidlaw.
The trolley has wooden benches and wood and brass accoutrements. It takes 15 minutes to complete its trip.
Says the Chamber of Commerce website:
"The purpose of the trolley program is to better engage visitors in the Santa Cruz experience. We are working to extend visitors’ stay in Santa Cruz for a meal, a memento, an exploration of the museum, or just a stroll."
Sponsors get advertising on a 40-inch LED digital display in the trolley, which will alternate advertising screens with visitor information and Santa Cruz history.
The trolley will run seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and has only 8,000 miles on it. It is ADA compliant.
Catch the speeches and applause in videos to the right.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
