MEDIA RELEASE
Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
May 29, 2015 9:50 a.m.
The Amelia Island Transportation & Trolley Company is offering new daily service on the island. The new Island Trolley will operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily from May 30 through Labor Day, offering visitors affordable and convenient access to Amelia Island’s most popular beaches, shopping, dining, historic downtown and more.
“The Amelia Island trolley will always be a favorite option for tours and private events, but the new Island Trolley meets a longtime demand for our visitors,” said Gil Langley, President and CEO of the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The daily trolley route connects several of our attractions and beaches, making it easier for vacationers to explore Amelia’s many treasures.”
Since 2012, the Amelia Island Transportation & Trolley Company has offered a variety of historic tours and service for weddings and other private events. The company will continue to offer tours and private rentals, adding the new Island Trolley to provide more convenient transportation and sightseeing options for passengers. With 17 stops along the route, the new daily service takes riders to Fort Clinch State Park, Main Beach, Seaside Park, the Amelia Island Museum and several other hotspots.
Island Trolley tickets are $3 per ride or $10 for a daily pass. Service starts on Centre Street before crossing Fletcher Avenue. Trolleys then head down Sadler Road and back to the downtown area, making several stops along the way. For more information, visit www.AmeliaIslandTrolleys.com.
Excellent! We just got back from Puerto Moreles where we admired their public transport infrastructure ranging from fixed route buses through ‘collectivos’ (min-vans) to taxis. The combination makes it easy to get around. Public transport helps build communities and studies in London show how being on a bus route helps support businesses along the route. Public transport is not simply for those who don’t have automobiles.
How about extending the route to include N 14th Street from Sadler to the north end? There are a lot of businesses and services along that route (including Publix, Baptist Nassau and offices for doctors, opticians, and physical therapy, as well as Bosque Bello cemetery, Old Town historic site and State Park, and Dee Dee Bartels Boat ramp.
More power to the service!
, I don’t know how much Mr. Saltmarsh, wants to expand this operation, But I can see an opportunity for the local population and the trolley system. I think the residents would use the system for work, shopping, etc. If there was a reasonable monthly pass system for locals. A lot of folks work Downtown in the shops, Restaurants, offices. We always hear of the parking issues. This Trolley System, could elevate a lot of that and fill the seats on the Trolley. The Key is cost, these Trolleys, can’t tell if there are 6 people on board or 25, the cost of operation is basically the same. I would think Mr. Saltmarsh would like to see them filled every day. Reasonable Monthly Passes.
Steve, couldn’t agree with you more. I called to make sure I understood the pricing. Should a family of 4 want to go from downtown to the beach it would cost $24 round trip. Should that same family want to hop off at a local eatery and have a meal add on another $12. This would make the whole trip a total of$36. Ask yourself would you pay $36 for this or would you just drive the few miles or would you just call a cab. The cab fare from downtown to the beach runs far less ( about 1/2 ) than the cost of the trolley and would get you there much quicker. I am not playing naysayer here, I want this service to work and I hope it is more than successful and feel it is a great idea. I believe as Steve pointed out the goal is to fill the seats, the cost is the same for the trolley. Personally I would have liked to see a far lesser fare with the intention of filling every seat than making adjustments from that point with respect to pricing.
Very Nice. This seems a better solution to bringing people downtown than adding a parking garage at this time. A suggestion to the operators would be to keep the trolley running until 10, as that is when the restaurants close up. I would personally be more likely to use it if that were the case.