VENTURA : Council OKs Pact for Trolley Service

There is not much that a quarter can buy you these days. But starting next year, a 25-cent fare will buy Ventura residents and visitors a ride around the city in a new motorized trolley.

The Ventura City Council approved a five-year franchise agreement with Ventura County Shuttle Inc. on Monday night, the final step in the city’s efforts to reinstate trackless trolley service in the city’s west end.

Two privately run trolley systems have failed in recent years, failures that city officials attribute to poor management and sagging tourism. But they are betting that a stronger tourist base created by a revitalized downtown will support the new trolley.

The trolley itself should help promote tourism by linking the city’s premier visitors’ spots. Ventura Harbor, Olivas Adobe, beaches and the downtown corridor will be stops on the trolley’s designated route.

“This is,” Councilman Greg Carson said during Monday’s meeting, “a commitment on the city’s part to connect downtown.”

The City Council agreed two months ago to purchase a trolley for $23,949 and lease it to an operator for $1 a year. The gas-powered trolley has been ordered and is expected to be delivered early next year.

Its maintenance and operation costs will be paid by the operator, city officials said.

The trolley schedule will vary depending on the season. In January and February, it will operate four days a week. From March to May and September to December, the trolley will run five days a week. And during the peak tourist season--Memorial Day to Labor Day--the trolley will run six days a week.

The hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except year-round on Fridays and Saturdays, when it will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.