Transit directors to revamp downtown loop, scrap trolley

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Thursday, July 02, 2009

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By KEVIN COURTNEY
Register Staff Writer

Downtown Napa coverage

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The Napa Downtown Trolley died an unceremonious death Wednesday morning.

The Napa County Transportation & Planning Agency’s board of directors voted unanimously to take trolleys off city streets at the end of August. These faux street cars will be replaced by a conventional VINE bus that will shuttle three times an hour between downtown and Napa Premium Outlets.

Thus ends an experiment started in May 2002, when the Napa City Council put up $1 million in gas tax revenues to buy three used motorized trolleys to carry an expected torrent of tourists attracted by Copia.

Copia fizzled while trolley patronage turned out to be more locals than visitors. Trolley rides were always free, with the NCTPA and downtown merchants picking up the tab after the first year.

When fares were imposed last summer for riders boarding outside downtown, ridership tanked. Merchants voted earlier this year to end their annual subsidy of about $60,000.

Only 1,641 people rode the trolley in May, nearly two-thirds fewer than just a few years ago, according to transit agency figures. Trolley rides cost the agency more than $14 per passenger, compared to the VINE’s average cost of around $6 per passenger.

Conventional VINE fares — $1.25 for adults, $1 for youths, 60 cents for seniors — will be charged on the downtown/outlets route. Buses will loop out First Street to the outlet mall, return on Second Street and turn around on Main Street.

Agency members asked staff to consider extending the route to the Oxbow district once the new bridge over the Napa River at First Street is completed.

The three trolleys will be retired at the end of August, but they won’t be sold off ... at least not immediately, Deborah Brunner, the agency’s manager of public transit, said.

The agency may be able to rent out the trolleys for other purposes. Until this business option is explored, NCTPA will put them in storage, Brunner said.

One of the trolleys will be shifted to Yountville in September, temporarily replacing a small vehicle that serves as the Yountville Shuttle, she said. The agency has ordered a new shuttle, but it won’t be delivered until the end of the year.

9 comment(s)

bubblywine wrote on Jul 2, 2009 8:53 AM:

" Maybe our meter maids and men could use the trolleys to enforce parking until their new vehicles arrive? "

eas001 wrote on Jul 2, 2009 8:56 AM:

" How about extending weekend hours? Most locals AND tourists go out to dinner (and drinks) after the public transportation stops. About the latest the Vine leaves the downtown area to go out to other areas of Napa on Fridays is approx 6:30pm and 5:30pm on Saturdays!! This was the same for the trolley, I would have been riding the trolley home on many Friday and/or Saturday nights if it left downtown around 10ish. "

shareathought wrote on Jul 2, 2009 9:11 AM:

" Is it possible for them to be used for community or seasonally events (such as, for the Fourth of July and August Fair); would it be beneficial to then, run them up and down major streets (such as Silverado, Soscol, Trancas, Imola, Lincon, and Trancas), then, throughout the year, sublease them for special events or fundraisers? "

mikeb wrote on Jul 2, 2009 9:14 AM:

" Why do the VINE busses charge only $1.25 for adults passengers when it costs them $6 per pasenger to operate? And we wonder why our government entities are all broke. "

darkstar wrote on Jul 2, 2009 10:44 AM:

" Only $14. per passenger for the trolley! What a brilliant use of taxpayer dollars. Why wait until the end of august? I say shut 'em down today! "

eas001 wrote on Jul 2, 2009 10:49 AM:

" 'shareathought' - That is a great idea regarding seasonal events and running up major streets - should have been done in the first place!

'mikeb' - I believe (not sure) that the VINE's per person cost is partially funded by local taxes, state and federal subsidies. Perhaps someone can elaborate. "

walker wrote on Jul 2, 2009 5:58 PM:

" Can't say I'll miss the folley trolley. My wife and I parked in downtown once to take out 6 m.o. on a ride around town a few years ago. We we chased off the trolley for having a ...milk bottle... Unbeliebable surly staff driving that thing did all they could to keep that trolley empty all the time...Good riddance... "

napa1957 wrote on Jul 2, 2009 10:56 PM:

" I remember riding the trolley when it was new with my daughter and 3 year old grandson. We rode from the outlets to the fairgrounds for the fair. There were aqbout 12 passengers on the way home and the trolley stopped on First St. in front of Murray Plaza. The driver left the engine on, got out of the trolley, shut the door and walked away. We sat there for over 10 minutes just wondering what was going on. Then another driver got on, put the trolley in gear and drove away. I don't think I've ridden it sense.
I love shareathoughts ideas. I know in other areas where there is a special draw (the beaches in Santa Cruz county) there are shuttles from "park and ride" areas and other major shopping areas. We have plenty of events in our valley that could benefit from the trolley's availability. I'll bet that some wine country weddings would love the convenience of renting a trolley to shuttle their guests from church to reception or reception to home/hotel. NCTPA could make some lemonade here! "

thisisnotatest wrote on Jul 2, 2009 11:30 PM:

" "....trolley patronage turned out to be more locals than visitors."

You say that like it's a bad thing. I was a happy little teenager to have a method of transportation. It made the taxes they take out of my Starbucks check worth it. "

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