Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:00

The Amador Trolley Debuts in Jackson-Sutter Creek Route

slide3-the_amador_trolley_debuts_in_jackson-sutter_creek_route.pngAmador County – A contingent of media from the Mother Lode, including crews from TSPN, rode the new Amador Trolley around Jackson Tuesday to mark the new dedicated bus line that will link the county seat to the business leading Sutter Creek. Amador Regional Transportation System kicked off its 2 new natural gas-powered trolley bus lines earlier this year, and with a media day and open house hosted local news organizations on parts of its loop, that will link various routes between Jackson and Sutter Creek. ARTS Director James Means sent system publicist Terry Grillo and ARTS board of directors member David Plank on part of the new trolley-style bus, with local newspaper and radio reporters, and TSPN News Director and Anchor Alex Lane took the route, with cameraman Tommy Fox documenting part of the trip with an interview with Grillo, and Means, for a special Out And About segment on the new trolley route. The new trolley routes are dedicated express routes between Jackson and Sutter Creek. The trolleys launched February 1st, operating 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays, with each trolley running on about a 70-minute round-trip loop. Means helped acquire the 2 custom-built trolley bus coaches in December from, Riverbank Oakdale Transit Authority, a small public transit district. The busses came at no cost to ARTS, through a federal program and the California Department of Transportation. The trolley interiors are wood and polished brass, and each trolley carries 27 passengers. The trolleys will run between Jackson and Sutter Creek 9 times a day. The trolleys run on Compressed Natural Gas (or CNG), and diesel fuel. Means in December said the trolleys were originally purchased by Riverbank for $506,000. Before the Amador County Transportation Commission approved transfer of ownership, Means already had arranged with the nearest CNG facility, to take the vehicles there for regular refueling. The Rancho Cordova facility is 32 miles away. Grillo said ARTS has a long-term goal of placing a CNG station in Amador County. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.