Holiday shoppers can
get around on trolley
john burton
The Hub
RED BANK — "Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, ding, ding went the bell," sang Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis.
Well, the clang and ding of the trolley will once again be heard on Red Bank streets as the borough will again sponsor the Holiday Trolley to transport shoppers and residents throughout the town.
Councilwoman Florence "Betti" Thompson said this will be the third year for the trolley service, which is being offered with the cooperation of the borough and various partners in the business community.
The trolley will allow shoppers and residents to park once and still be able to get around the borough for the holiday season, Thompson said.
The trolley will travel along Broad and Monmouth streets and Bridge Avenue. It will make numerous stops throughout the area, including at the Galleria on Bridge Avenue and the train station, and will proceed up Broad Street/Route 35 to The Grove shopping center, Shrewsbury, according to Thompson.
Because of the positive feedback from the last two years, the borough and the local businesses have decided to offer the service again, said Thompson.
"It’s been very well received, especially by the children. The children really like it," Thompson said. "It makes the holidays more festive."
The trolley is slated to run from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Thanksgiving weekend until Christmas Eve, said Gail O’Reilly, the borough’s director of special projects.
The price of a ride is 50 cents, but seniors and preschool children ride free.
"We try to keep the fee as nominal as possible in the holiday spirit," O’Reilly said.
The cost of the trolley is paid for through the sponsorship of local businesses and through the efforts of RiverCenter, the Arts and Antique District and The Grove, and no public money is being expended, O’Reilly said.
The vehicle and driver are being provided by the Great American Trolley Co., located in southern New Jersey. The final cost is still being negotiated, said O’Reilly.
Efforts are under way to expand the trolley concept with a regularly scheduled jitney bus in the spring.
The borough recently applied to receive a bus from NJ Transit and was approved for it. The borough plans to apply again next year for an additional bus, O’Reilly said.