Keep Anna Maria Island Trolley Free...
Local Anna Maria Island officials are wondering whether they will be able to keep the Island trolleys free despite budget cuts.
As reported in the Anna Maria Island Sun... By Tom Vaught | sun staff writer.
Will the Anna Maria Island Trolley Remain Free?
As governments tighten their belts, one question on the minds of many Anna Maria Island residents and business owners is: Will the Anna Maria Island trolley remain free to those who ride?
Many say the trolley is a huge benefit to the tourist industry. Others see it as a fun people-mover for those too old and too young to drive.
Bradenton Beach, where traffic congestion is monumental during season, wants to use it as a solution to the high number of cars on Gulf Drive, especially between Cortez Road and Longboat Pass.
At last week’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting, Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash suggested that the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce start the wheels rolling on a solution to keeping the trolley free to users.
Local AMI Businesses Want Trolley to Be Free!
Last year, Manatee County Area Transit suggested enacting a fee to ride the trolley, which businesses on the Island opposed. McClash asked Manatee County AreaTransit (MCAT) for a dollar figure to keep the trolleys free, and they came up with $50,000. The TDC agreed to pay $26,000 and each city on the Island paid $8,000.
One question is whether the cities or the TDC would be willing to do that again for the next fiscal year. McClash said he would rather the Island Chamber help them avoid that.
"Maybe they could voluntarily charge something like $1 per night per room surcharge that could go into a fund to pay for it," he said. "If you start charging a free for rides, it would slow things down as people reach into their pockets for money. I don’t think it is in the best interest of the Island to pay."
Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Working on a Solution
Island Chamber President Mary Ann Brockman said she would organize a meeting to work on solutions.
"I will probably invite the mayors from all three cities and Chamber board members," she said. "We’ll see what we might be able to do to keep the trolleys free.
McClash, who owns rental property on the Island, said he would be willing to collect an extra fee if it would prevent MCAT from charging.
"The bottom line is we should keep the trolley free for riders," he said. "We can’t wait until September because governments are starting to put together their budgets. They need to find a solution by June."
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