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A council member says the price tag of $300,000 to $450,000 is affordable. A trolley might compete with the Pinellas Park Shuttle.
By ANNE LINDBERG
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 22, 2001
PINELLAS PARK -- The price of a trolley service connecting residents with businesses is workable, a council member says. The next question to answer: Is there a demand?
Council member Ed Taylor last month floated the idea of a "shopper stopper" trolley making rounds to such places as the Mainlands' six clubhouses, Freedom Village, Clearwater Cascades, the city's senior and recreation centers, and some convalescent homes. Business stops would include Albertson's, Publix, Winn-Dixie, ParkSide mall and doctors' offices within city limits.
Taylor's colleagues wanted more information, and it arrived last week.
Most expensive would be the trolley itself, costing between $115,000 and $266,900.
Other estimates: $120,000 for personnel, $19,000 to $20,000 for insurance and $39,000 for maintenance, fuel, repairs and cleaning. Fares -- about $1 per rider -- are expected to produce one-third of the revenue needed to run the trolley.
The price range -- roughly $300,000 to $450,000 -- didn't discourage Taylor.
"I was not disheartened at all by the information," he said. The question is, does our city want a shopper stopper? The city could find ways to reduce the cost or finance it, he said. Possibilities include using church bus-type vehicles rather than the pink or red and green trolleys running in St. Petersburg and the beaches, or asking businesses to help pay for the trolley if they want shoppers brought to their doors.
The city's research found three trolley systems and one shuttle service in Pinellas County. The trolleys -- the Looper, the Jolley Trolley and the Beach Trolley -- connect tourist destinations to downtown St. Petersburg. The fourth, the Pinellas Park Shuttle, links residential areas to shopping and government locations such as City Hall. Unlike the trolleys, with their brightly colored design reminiscent of San Francisco trolley cars, the shuttle is a typical bus.
The trolleys all appear to be successful and have a growing ridership. The 6-year-old Pinellas Park Shuttle, however, has had a declining ridership for several years.
Bob Bray, the planning director who conducted the study, blamed the shuttle's lack of success on decreasing ridership, lack of tourist attractions and destination spots, and a weak partnership with the business community.
Bray also warned that the trolley, as envisioned, might compete with the Pinellas Park Shuttle, which is operated by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. If door-to-door service is planned, that could clash with the PSTA's Demand Response System.
Taylor said it might be possible to have the PSTA help finance the trolley rather than putting its money into the shuttle. It all depends on the demand, he said: If the trolley is not going to be used, then it's pointless to pursue the issue.