Clinton officials and business leaders were encouraged by the results of the new free trolley service rolled out on the weekends during the summer, and following a review plan to do it again with a few changes being considered.

The free trolley service ran on weekends from June to September and was the brain child of the combined efforts of the Placemakers, the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Commission (EDC). The goal of the project was to encourage people to visit the different sections in town in a fun manner that would, in and of itself, attract visitors.

Town funds were not used to operate the trolley. Instead, to make the trolley a reality the groups solicted donations from advertisers to cover the cost of decorating the trolley, as well as to pay for the driver and gas. The trolley was operated and housed by 9 Town Transit, the region’s public transportation provider.

The Clinton Chamber of Commerce, the Placemakers, and the EDC recently conducted a review of the trolley’s first year, and the signs were encouraging.

“There is interest to do it again, from the advertisers its all been positive,” said John Allen, the president of the Placemakers and chairman of the EDC.

Paid for Itself

The trolley generated $44 in profit which, Allen said, was a good thing.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a money-making venture, the goal was for it to just pay for itself, which it did,” Allen said. The review estimated that the trolley averaged about 240 riders a week, and that the ridership increased as the summer went along and word spread about the trolley.

“You’d see it drive by and there was 70 people on it on a Saturday night.” In addition to serving riders, having people see it drive around was beneficial as well, said Allen.

Clinton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Paul Orsini said that he felt like the trolley started as novelty trip for families, but by the end of the season he said it was being used as a free method of transportation by some people.

“By the end the people riding it were riding it for its intended use. I think we should really try and build on it,” said Orsini.

While the reviews for the trolley were mostly positive, Allen acknowledged there was some aspects of the service that could be tweaked in the future. The trolley made seven stops: Clinton Crossings Premium Outlets, the train station, the marina area, the downtown at Liberty Green, the Stop & Shop plaza, the ShopRite plaza, and a stop near the Westbrook line.

“We noticed going east there weren’t as many riders,” Allen said.

Adjustments to Route Considered

Allen said that the group will meet with the Police Department and 9 Town Transit to determine what adjustments could be made the route. Allen said one possibility is to eliminate some of the stops that are on the east side, and, rather, stop at the end of Commerce and Grove Streets to allow people easy access to popular destinations like Lobster Landing and Shanks Restaurant. Changes to the hours of operation are also under consideration.

Another goal for the group is to increase the public’s knowledge of the trolley. This past summer, there was only about a month between the time the project was finalized and publicized, and then launched. As a result, the trolley had to rely upon word of mouth rather than advertising, which may have reduced ridership in the beginning of the season.

Allen said that one group of people who made good use of the service were those in town staying on boats in the marina and wanting to get around town. Targeting that demographic with more advertisements and, possibly, more service is something Allen said the group will look into.

“I think everyone seemed to really enjoy it but we can do more,” Allen said.

Orsini proposed the idea of amending the hours of operation to Thursday night to Saturday, as opposed to Friday night to Sunday. Orsini felt this would allow for riders to make better use of the trolley because there were fewer riders on Sundays.

Themed Weekends Possible

With more time to plan for next summer, Allen said that the group “will spend some of the time trying to spruce it up.” Allen said the group is considering different themed weekends where the trolley would be decorated according to the theme, or using the trolley for a scavenger hunt around town. Allen said that the group has already had positive conversations with some advertisers who were interested in sponsoring the trolley again in 2020.

“The bottom line was this was great, but let’s do a little more planning and get more people involved,” Allen said.

In addition to the summer trolley service, the town made use of the trolley again in October to transport patrons to a tour of The Little Red School House. The trolley will also make an appearance at Christmas in Clinton which is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 1.

Getting the trolley started was a project that the groups had been kicking around for a while. Last year after some internal EDC dialog about making the shuttle a reality and conversations with the Clinton Pacemakers and Clinton Chamber of Commerce, the group approached 9 Town Transit to gauge the costs and logistics of operating the vehicle.

Later in the spring, Douglas Dobriner, one of the owners of the property at 30 Old Post Road, learned that the EDC was interested in acquiring a trolley. According to Allen, Dobriner was in the possession of a trolley that he was trying to donate and connected with 9TT to donate the trolley.

Dobriner is part of a group called Old Post Road Realty, LLC, which has met with the EDC and Planning and Zoning Commission about possibly putting forward an application to build a recreation center on the site of 30 Old Post Road. A previous application by the same group for a waste recycling center to be built on the property was met by intense opposition by many in town. News of the source of the trolley’s donation sparked concern from some members of the public, but Allen said earlier in 2019 nothing nefarious had occurred.

“There’s nothing the EDC can do or is doing for them. We can’t vote. We assist with bringing businesses in, we just help with navigating the inland wetlands, planning and zoning, and Board of Selectmen process and making sure they don’t miss a deadline or something,” Allen told the Harbor News earlier in the spring.