Greenlink Begins Downtown Trolley Service Aug 14th
August 14, 2014
GREENVILLE SC – Greenlink will begin downtown trolley service on Thurs., Aug 14., with a revised route that will transition from a flag-stop to a fixed-stop system. To celebrate Greenville’s new downtown trolleys, Greenlink will give away free t-shirts to the first 100 riders on Fri., Aug. 15. Hours of operation for the new trolleys are: Thursdays and Fridays 6 p.m. until 11 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.; and Sundays 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. Downtown trolleys operate year-round.
Owned and operated by Greenville Transit Authority/Greenlink, the new open-air, red and blue trolleys offer a vintage look and feel complete with a cow catcher on the front and wooden bench seats inside. Both trolleys seat 35 passengers, are wheelchair accessible, and are equipped with bicycle racks. The trolleys also feature a co-pilot seat for tour guides or special guests.
“The new trolleys will add to the excitement and enjoyment of the downtown experience,” said Greenlink Transit Director Mark Rickards. “The nostalgic look of these trolleys is a tribute to Greenville’s history when trolleys began serving the city’s public transportation needs in the 1890’s.”
Downtown trolleys are the result of a public-private partnership between Greenlink, the City of Greenville and The Greenville Drive, and are an extension of a trolley program that began in 2006 when the Drive purchased a trolley for the debut of Fluor Field. In recent years, the Drive and the City of Greenville have enjoyed shared use of two trolleys.
There is no fare to ride the new trolleys, however the trolley route has changed, with the new system moving from a flag-stop system to a fixed-stop system. The new route is as follows: Begin at Field St.; right on Markley; right on S. Main; left on River St. which becomes Richardson St., then Townes St.; right on E. Park; left on N. Main; left on Stone Ave.; right on Townes; right on Earle; right on N. Main; continues on N. Main to Augusta St.; left on Augusta; right on Field St. More than 20 fixed stops will be identified along the route with trolley signs.
“Trolleys have become a highly visible part of transportation in downtown Greenville, and are extremely popular among residents and visitors alike,” Rickards said. “We’re excited to roll out the new trolleys, and already we are working on plans to enhance trolley service with longer hours and coverage of a wider geographic area.”
Greenlink provides fixed route transportation services Monday through Saturday in the city of Greenville and throughout Greenville County, and operates a daily connector to Clemson University and a CU-ICAR/St. Francis Shuttle on weekdays. The system also features Greenville Area Paratransit (GAP), an ADA service provided for disabled individuals who are unable to use Greenlink’s fixed route bus service.
For more information, visit www.RideGreenlink.com or call 864.467.2700.
