Accompanied by the sounds of a vintage-style barbershop quartet and the sights of "Trolley Troupers" dressed in period costumes, the new Coral Gables Trolley service began in November, 2003, with an official "christening" ceremony officiated by Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, as well as members of the Coral Gables City Commission. With the new service now in effect, people who work in or visit The City Beautiful now have a convenient, free way to move around town - with a nostalgic taste of George Merrick's original vision of Coral Gables. The Trolley, which is celebrating its 3rd birthday this year, has been well received. The new method of transportation was needed to assist the flow of traffic in the commercial areas and provide connectivity to the Metrorail.

Since the trolley's launch, ridership has been increasing on a daily basis, surpassing the City's goals. Original projections estimated at 1,000 passengers daily by year’s were quickly surpassed, with an average now of more than 4,000 riders per day. Since its inception, the environmentally-friendly trolleys, which use hybrid engines, have transported more than 1,670,063 passengers surpassing the one millionth mark on September 16th, 2005 and quickly approaching the two millionth milestone. Currently, the employees, students, and visitors who use one of the five vehicles in the trolley fleet can take advantage of the ease and convenience of "trolleying" around Coral Gables.

The trolleys are part of the Urban Improvement Program of the City of Coral Gables, which was implemented to assist the flow of traffic in the commercial areas and to provide connectivity to Metrorail. The trolleys seat approximately 22 people and an additional 15 passengers standing, and have addressed some of the most pressing City issues that are common to our urban society. The hybrid-electric trolleys alleviate environmental concerns and provide free commuter service for the many people who come to work in Coral Gables each day. "People who live and work in the City can use the trolley to get to work, go to appointments, and meet friends and co-workers for lunch without ever using their cars," said Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick.

"After five years of working on the trolley project, we're extremely pleased to know that the public has truly embraced the trolley program," said Commissioner William Kerdyk, Jr. "The beauty of the new service is that it harkens back to the Coral Gables of George Merrick's time, yet embodies all the convenience and eco-friendly attributes of a modern, state-of-the-art vehicle."

The fleet of hybrid-electric trolleys was created by Ebus, Inc. in Downey, CA, and is the first of its kind in Florida.

"It was important for us to keep the environment in consideration when picking the proper vehicle for our new public transportation project," said Clive Cork, automotive director for the City of Coral Gables. "The hybrid electric trolleys are the perfect user- and city-friendly solution. They're low-emission and low-noise vehicles, yet they offer riders air-conditioned comfort, reliability and are completely accessible to physically challenged riders."

For now, the environmentally friendly trolleys are a free service thanks to funding from Miami-Dade County, the Florida Department of Transportation and the People's Transportation Tax. The City will periodically review the Trolley routes and hours of operation to optimize the use of this mode of transportation and ensure the program is achieving the desired objectives.

The North/South Ponce de Leon Boulevard Route runs along Ponce de Leon Boulevard from the Douglas Metrorail Station to Southwest Eighth Street. This service runs every 10 to 15 minutes from Monday-Thursday: 6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Have questions about the Coral Gables Trolley? Call 305-460-5070.

Ponce de Leon route

250,000th Rider on the Trolley

Trolley Birthday Bash

Commuter Benefits

Savvy Awards