SALEM — With the city jam-packed with visitors during the spooky season, the historical city is doing its best to help people get around.
This is the fourth year that Salem has offered its weekend shuttle service, but this year it has added to the program. Now visitors and residents will have three weeks to utilize the service instead of the usual two.
“Since we began this free service in 2017 our October shuttles have provided more than 24,500 rides to over 12,000 people,” said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “Allowing people to park at these satellite lots has helped reduce demand for downtown parking and lessen the number of cars driving into and around downtown. Since 2017, the service has kept around 4,100 cars out of downtown Salem. While a lot of visitors use the shuttle, we also see many Salem residents use it to easily get to and from downtown Salem on October weekends. I encourage everyone planning a visit to Salem this October to make use of the free satellite parking lots and this shuttle service.”
Shuttles run on the weekends of Oct. 16, 23, and 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. between three different free satellite parking lots and downtown Salem. The free satellite parking lots are located at Salem State University’s O’Keefe Center (225 Canal Street), Salem High School (77 Willson Street), and at 108 Jefferson Avenue behind Salem Hospital. Together, the three satellite lots offer nearly 800 free parking spaces.
An accessible shuttle is available for those who require one and it stops at the high school and Jefferson Avenue lots, as well as Riley Plaza. While on the shuttle, face masks are required to be worn.
The city is also strongly advising visitors to not plan on driving into downtown Salem on October weekends.
Sam Minton can be reached at [email protected].
