Free Shuttles May Be Operating in Balboa Park by the Spring

A free tram system could be operating in Balboa Park by May 19 if negotiations with Old Town Trolley Tours are successful, a city official said Wednesday. A deal may be reached in the next 30 days.

David Twomey, assistant director of the city’s Park and Recreation Department, said plans call for a three-vehicle shuttle system that would limit passenger waits to no more than 10 minutes on peak days, such as summer weekends.

The trams would pick up visitors at the old Navy hospital parking lot at Inspiration Point, stop in the park’s Palisades and Prado areas, cross the Cabrillo Bridge to 6th Avenue, and head to Marston Point before doubling back, Twomey told San Diego City Council’s Public Facilities and Recreation Committee.

The cost to the city is still being negotiated, but Twomey said he expects it to be under $100,000 a year. Free tram rides are planned for the first two to three years, but the city might someday charge for the service, Twomey said.

The start-up date is timed to coincide with the temporary removal of 113 parking spaces in the Prado area to allow for installation of the Frank Lloyd Wright “Usonian Automatic House” exhibit by the San Diego Museum of Art, which will be on view from June to September.

Final details of the tram system must be approved by the committee and the full council.