SALEM — The city will once again offer free trolley rides to residents with the return of its free trolley ride program.
Starting June 1 and lasting until Sept. 30, residents can apply to receive a “resident ticket” for the service by providing proof of residency at the Salem Trolley office located at 8 Central St.
2021 marks the ninth year of the free trolley ride program. Since the program’s start in 2013, a total of 11,541 free rides have been given to Salem residents.
The trolley runs seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its route includes much of downtown Salem and also the Salem Willows. Regular stops are located at the Salem Visitors Center, Witch History Museum, Old Burial Point/Witch Trial Memorial, Pickering Wharf/Sea Level restaurant, the House of the Seven Gables, Salem Witch Museum, Peabody Essex Museum, Witch Dungeon Museum, and Salem Witch House/Salem Inn.
Passenger-requested stops are also made at the Salem Maritime Site, Salem Ferry, Winter Island, Salem Willows, and Hamilton Hall/Phillips House/Chestnut Street.
“I want to thank the Salem Trolley for their generosity in once again working with us to subsidize this terrific program to make it possible for Salem residents to take advantage of a free trolley ride,” Mayor Kimberley Driscoll said. “They are a true asset to Salem and our business community.”
Salem also recently launched its affordable rideshare service, Salem Skipper, as part of the city’s ongoing effort to make transportation more accessible to residents.
First introduced in December 2020, the Skipper provides transportation to anywhere within Salem city limits for $2 per ride, or $1 for senior citizens, students, and people with disabilities. Rides can be requested through the Salem Skipper app for iPhone and Android.
As of last month, the mayor’s office reported the rideshare service was averaging almost 1,000 rides per week.
“We’re only eight square miles, so lots of places are walkable, bikeable, and we felt that by having a rideshare service, we could help drive down (transportation) costs,” Driscoll said. “From an environmental point of view, it’s helpful to get cars off the road, and a shared ride service is part of the effort to make Salem greener and more liveable.”
Passengers are required to wear masks or face coverings while on the trolley. Admission is based on seating availability, and passengers will not be allowed to re-embark the trolley after exiting.
A complete route map is available at http://salemtrolley.com/map-of-tour-3.html.
