‘Trolley’ Attracting Riders and Attention

Exceeding expectations, more than 1,000 people a month jumped aboard Ventura’s red and green town trolley this summer, peaking with a record-breaking 1,618 people in August.

At the beginning of September the trolley switched to an off-season schedule. Through May it will run Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with regular evening runs until 10 on Fridays and Saturdays. The fare will remain 25 cents.

Off-hours, it will be available for charter groups.

The vehicle--actually a bus painted to look like an old-fashioned trolley car--makes a 12-mile loop, stopping at numerous sites, including Ventura Harbor Village, the pier and City Hall. The city owns the trolley but handed it over to new management this spring.

Kathleen Alegria, office manager for the company that manages the trolley, said the vehicle piques people’s curiosity and introduces Ventura to tourists.

“People follow the trolley when it’s going down the road. People lying on the beach look up when it drives by and say, ‘Did you see that?’ ” Alegria said. “It’s getting a lot of visibility for what it does. I think it gives people an idea of what Ventura is all about.”