photo by Nicole Roegner

Scottsdale’s Friendly neighborhood trolley doubled its ridership after the city expanded routes this spring. It’s taking kids to the
library, businessmen to the bar – and more stops could be in store.

The bus stop is abuzz as three young girls gab about last night’s rerun of Hannah Montana and the books they found at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library.
Katie Debons, Carmen Lopez and Maria Dyer, all age 10, sit and chat, their feet swinging as they kick back and forth. Maria pops up from her seat, “Hey! It’s coming!”
Scottsdale’s blue-and-white neighborhood trolley bumps along Second Street on its journey to shuttle kids to the library, business people to the bar and older adults to the store. Since the route expanded in April, ridership has shot up 113 percent, and for the first time in Scottsdale’s history, officials are buzzing about the possibility of viable mass transit in a city better known for luxury SUVs.
Tony Robinson drives one of the 16 trolleys that provide free rides seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. As the three girls board the bus, he notes that they ride it almost every day – to and from activities, school, the library, the mall – and they’re not the only ones climbing on board.
Robinson says a large number of his passengers are kids, because the trolley is a safe and easy way to get around. “They don’t have to get a ride from mom or dad; they don’t have to walk outside when it’s so hot,” he says. “People in Scottsdale trust the trolley system. It’s reliable, it’s safe and it reaches a ton of neighborhood community centers, schools and parks.”
When city officials decided to extend the route this spring, they chose popular community spots. The six-mile extension now connects to Orbit Earth, Tempe’s own free bus system. A month later, ridership jumped from about 350 passengers a day to 723, according to the Scottsdale Transportation Department. The trolley’s extension was celebrated by Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross, who has since noticed changes in the Scottsdale community.
“There’s been a very positive response to the expansion,” Manross says. “The trolleys are really bringing neighborhoods and people together.”
The trolley turns down Granite Reef Road and pulls into the Granite Reef Senior Center – one of the most popular stops. Bernice Wilson, 73, gets on.
“Just off to the mall again,” she says to Robinson, tucking her glasses into her purse. “It’s a good thing you know how to get there, because I sure don’t.” She waves at the gaggle of girls in the front and takes a seat toward the back.
For commuters like Robinson, as well as her younger college-age counterparts, the advantages of a trolley system are numerous: It’s better for the environment, it saves gas money, it provides an opportunity to read and do work while traveling, and it doesn’t require drawing straws for a designated driver.
Annie DeChance, public participation and outreach manager for the Scottsdale Transportation Department, says she is proud of the environmental benefits. She notes that the trolleys run only on biodiesel fuel, a non-petroleum based diesel fuel that’s made from vegetable oil.
“Biodiesel means we aren’t directly affected by rising gas prices,” she says, “and we’re doing a great thing for the environment.”
But the trolley isn’t all that Scottsdale needs to become the next Pleasantville. While the route has been extended, residents of North Scottsdale have yet to see any stops in their neighborhoods. And while trolleys make every stop, every 20 minutes, that’s a potential 20 minutes of waiting in the heat. Passengers who hop on in the middle of the day can find themselves riding alone.
Manross is hopeful for the trolley’s future. This year, Scottsdale allocated $1.4 million to the neighborhood trolley. Manross says Scottsdale will look to expand the route again if the trolley grabs enough funds in the next budget cycle.
“They will be small expansions – one new route here and there – but my hope is to take it through the Downtown Phoenix area and through Chaparral [Road],” she says.