Take Free Rides On Retro San Francisco-Style Trolley From Downtown To Peterborough Musicfest

Free rides on a retro San Francisco-style trolley from downtown to Peterborough Musicfest concerts are returning for another season. 

The trolley rides will begin June 14th and 15th for the Kawartha Craft Beer Festival, and return on a regular Wednesday and Saturday evening Musicfest schedule starting June 29th and run through August 17th. All stops will occur on the right side of George Street. Trolley pickups will begin at Confederation Square (across from City Hall) and continue at the intersections with Brock, Hunter, Simcoe, Charlotte and King from 6 p.m. to 10 pm. 

Photo courtesy DBIA

This is a Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area initiative, and allows people who walk or park in the downtown to shop or dine before or after the concerts to jump on the trolley to get to the park and hop on the trolley to get back to downtown. 

“We want to support Musicfest in a way that also helps our downtown,” says Terry “Mr. Downtown” Guiel, DBIA Executive Director. “The charm of the trolley coupled with us offering it as a free service is a fun and welcoming way for us to get people to enjoy the concerts while exploring our downtown restaurants and retail stores.”

Photo courtesy DBIA

TROLLEY MAKING NEW STOP AT MEMORIAL CENTRE THIS SEASON

The DBIA have added a new stop to the free service as the trolley will now go all the way to the Memorial Centre parking lot to pick up concertgoers who park there. This added service was a way to reduce vehicle congestion and to encourage more people to attend the concerts and bring more people to the downtown.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Peterborough DBIA to bring the trolley back for Season 33 of Peterborough Musicfest,” adds Tracey Randall, Peterborough Musicfest General Manager. “It was a huge hit last summer and adds some extra fun and convenience to our already exciting concert nights." 

The trolley is accessible and can hold 30 people seated and 15 standing. The trolley is not intended as a substitute for Peterborough Transit, and demand for this free trolley will exceed its capacity—especially when the concerts end each night. Priority will be given to those with mobility issues, seniors, and expectant mothers or parents with young children and seating based on availability.

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New Free Trolley Service Launching Downtown This Summer

In a unique, innovative move, the Downtown Business Improvement Area has announced they are offering free trolley rides from downtown to Del Crary Park for Peterborough Musicfest concerts. The trolley will start June 30th and run through August 25th.

"We wanted to support Musicfest in a way that also helps our downtown," says DBIA Executive Director Terry Guiel. "The San Francisco-style trolley car really takes people back in time and that is the charm we wanted to capture."

Photo of trolley courtesy DBIA

The Trolley is owned and operated by Michael Bryant of Dromoland out of Little Britain. Michael will bring in a trolley load of visitors with him from Kawartha Lakes each concert night and take them home after. The trolley will be driven by Peterborough's own transit drivers from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1320.

Photo of trolley courtesy DBIA

According to local historian Elwood Jones, the real trolleys used to run downtown between 1904 and 1928, with a much earlier version in the 1890s. The trolley that will be used for these events is a converted bus made to look like a trolley.

Photo of trolley courtesy DBIA

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SERVICE

-> All stops will occur on the right side of George Street.
-> Trolley pickups will begin at Confederation Square (across from City Hall) and continue at the intersections with Brock, Hunter, Simcoe, Charlotte and King from 6 pm to 10 pm.
-> The trolley will finish at Del Crary Park, where it will swing around and loop back to City Hall.
-> The trolley is accessible and can hold 30 people seated and 15 standing. (Priority use of the trolley will be given to those with mobility issues, seniors and expectant mothers or parents with young children.)
-> The DBIA expects the demand for this free trolley will exceed its capacity (especially right after the concerts end) and ask that everyone appreciate that they may not be able to give everyone a free ride.
-> The trolley is not intended as a substitute for Peterborough Transit.

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