Despite low ridership, Calabasas trolley deemed a success

SYMBOL OF THE CITY-The red trolley of Calabasas isn't always full, but city officials say the service is needed. The vehicle runs on natural gas and helps many teens who don't have licenses. The decorative Calabasas trolley might not have a large following, but city officials say the public transportation vehicle is still a success.

The prominent red vehicle- actually a bus made to look like an old trolley-often roams the city with empty seats and some taxpayers have asked whether the program is worth the money.

Robert Yalda, Calabasas transportation director, said the trolley is paid for by county sales tax revenues and federal grant money.

"The trolley is more than just a bus taking people around," Yalda said. "It's really used for recreation . . . For teenagers who don't drive, they really depend on the trolley to go to The Commons. I have witnessed a lot of children grouping up and using (the trolley) to get to and from The Commons safely."

Calabasas began renting the trolley in 1999 to promote local shopping within the city's commerce area, city officials said.

Due to the growing popularity of the program, the city decided to purchase its own trolley and began offering the service free of charge to its riders.

"(One idea behind the trolley) was to bring some kind of identity to the community," Yalda said.

"Old Town Calabasas had just been refurbished and we wanted to bring people from the Las Virgenes and Lost Hills areas to Old Town and the center of town," said Yalda.

"We also thought it was a great opportunity on the weekend for people to get out of their cars and use a public transit service," he added.

The city of Calabasas has two trolleys.The second is used as a backup in case the first one breaks down, and is also used for special occasions.

"The trolley has been successful and it's even become an icon of the city," Yalda said. "I know that teenagers who don't have their driver's licenses depend on the trolley."

But Yalda admits the trolley is sometimes empty.

"I have to run a thick schedule so that people can easily plan their lives around it," Yalda said. "Sometimes there's nobody on the trolley and sometimes you have 10 or 20 people on each route."

Trolley ridership varies from day to day and depending on the time of year, Yalda said. On average, the trolley will get about 100 riders a day. The trolley receives most of its business during the summertime, he added.

The trolley is one of the few vehicles in the city that runs on CNG (compressed natural gas). According to Calabasas Associate Transportation Planner Tom Gdala, CNG is the fuel of the future. It's much cheaper than regular gasoline and it's 90 to 95 percent cleaner burning, Gdala said.

The city hopes to shift other vehicles over to alternative fuels to help keep the local air clean.

In 2002, the city expanded trolley services due to resident requests.

The transportation system serves residents between 4 and 10 p.m. on Fridays, 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturdays and between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays.