New trolley service planned for Beach
PANAMA CITY BEACHWith a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, the Pier Park Express will hit the streets running this summer.Anticipating the usual traffic congestion on the Beach, a group of Bay County business leaders and Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce officials have been working for several months to establish weekend Bay Town Trolley service for tourists, resort employees and residents.The current concept calls for a "Pier Park Express" route running between the Beach Wal-Mart and Pier Park along Middle Beach and Front Beach roads. The plan calls for two trolley vehicles driving back and forth on a minimum-stop route across the city from 10 a.m. until midnight Saturday and Sunday."We are always trying to encourage our guests to leave their cars in the parking lot," said Regions Bank President Rick Dye, who is chairing the chamber's mass transit committee. "Then we don't offer weekend service" with the trolley.Dye told a monthly "Friday at the Beach" chamber gathering on Friday the business community needs to raise $25,000 in private support to supplement a $125,000 state grant the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization expects to receive for the new service. He told the chamber audience the most likely source of private revenue could come from advertising displayed on the trolley vehicles.Another wrinkle is working with the Bay Town Trolley to determine the best way to secure the additional trolley vehicles to provide the service, Dye said.Mayor Gayle Oberst told the Friday gathering the new service also would help resort employees avoid traffic congestion by boarding the trolley at park-and-ride lots."With gas prices expected to exceed $4 per gallon this summer, it will be exceedingly difficult for them to get to work," Oberst said.A workshop on the express service has been scheduled May 22 at the TPO office in Panama City.If the committee is able to launch the new express, it will mark the second increase in Bay Town Trolley service this year. In April, the trolley expanded its weekday service with two evening hours of operation from 6 to 8 p.m.
NewsHerald.com – May 12, 2008 04:51 AM [GMT]
found in Local: Florida: Panama City
PANAMA CITY BEACHWith a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, the Pier Park Express will hit the streets running this summer.Anticipating the usual traffic congestion on the Beach, a group of Bay County business leaders and Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce officials have been working for several months to establish weekend Bay Town Trolley service for tourists, resort employees and residents.The current concept calls for a "Pier Park Express" route running between the Beach Wal-Mart and Pier Park along Middle Beach and Front Beach roads. The plan calls for two trolley vehicles driving back and forth on a minimum-stop route across the city from 10 a.m. until midnight Saturday and Sunday."We are always trying to encourage our guests to leave their cars in the parking lot," said Regions Bank President Rick Dye, who is chairing the chamber's mass transit committee. "Then we don't offer weekend service" with the trolley.Dye told a monthly "Friday at the Beach" chamber gathering on Friday the business community needs to raise $25,000 in private support to supplement a $125,000 state grant the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization expects to receive for the new service. He told the chamber audience the most likely source of private revenue could come from advertising displayed on the trolley vehicles.Another wrinkle is working with the Bay Town Trolley to determine the best way to secure the additional trolley vehicles to provide the service, Dye said.Mayor Gayle Oberst told the Friday gathering the new service also would help resort employees avoid traffic congestion by boarding the trolley at park-and-ride lots."With gas prices expected to exceed $4 per gallon this summer, it will be exceedingly difficult for them to get to work," Oberst said.A workshop on the express service has been scheduled May 22 at the TPO office in Panama City.If the committee is able to launch the new express, it will mark the second increase in Bay Town Trolley service this year. In April, the trolley expanded its weekday service with two evening hours of operation from 6 to 8 p.m.
NewsHerald.com – May 12, 2008 04:51 AM [GMT]
found in Local: Florida: Panama City
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