Manhattan Beach : Trolley Service Halted
The Manhattan Beach Trolley quit serving the community this week with only two days notice, and the City Council will discuss Tuesday whether to replace the service or do without.
David Shumway, president of Arizona-based American Trolley Lines, advised the city last Thursday that it would not offer the service after Saturday.
It would be “impossible” for another company to offer the service for the same price, according to David Long, city administrative aide. Trolley riders paid 50 cents a ride and the city paid a $2,000 monthly subsidy. Expected advertising revenue never materialized, Long said.
The council voted July 15 to put the company on a 90-day termination notice unless service improved. A school bus had replaced the trackless trolley car since June 27, and no service was provided on 14 days since the six-day-a-week service began Feb. 17.
Nevertheless, the trolley was well received by the community, Long said, with ridership increasing from about 600 a month in February to about 1,600 in June.
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