Going green
Yachats unveils trolley to tackle traffic and pollution
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
It’s as cute as a button, but its purpose is anything but. The brand-new, vintage-styled trolley that has joined the City of Yachats fleet isn’t just a fun new photo opportunity for visitors – it will also help reduce traffic and lower the city’s environmental impact.
“It is meant as a destination-management tool,” said City Manager Bobbi Price. “We wanted to help reduce congestion during peak season and our carbon footprint.”
The hybrid vehicle is a perfect fit for a town with a 25-mile-an-hour speed limit.
“When it’s driving 25 miles an hour or less it will be all electric,” Price said. “When it is going at higher speeds, it will be using gas, but charging the battery.”
The higher speeds are necessary to carry visitors to and from two state parks nearby: Beachside State Park to the north and Cape Perpetual to the south.
“We wanted visitors to be able to get to town without getting into their cars,” Price said. “That’s why we decided to add those stops to the route that will operate during camping season.”
Camping season, and the primary operating season for the trolley, is between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
During the off season, the trolley will help add a festive feel to local events, like the upcoming Cocoa Trail, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7, as part of the Yachats Winter Festival. It will also ferry people to Cape Perpetua for the New Year’s Day Peace Hike and around town for the Sip and Stroll in the spring.
“It’s also going to be used for the Heceta Head Victorian Christmas festivities,” Price said.
“And, during the regular season, we will have the Cape Perpetua Collaborative providing a stand-on guide on Saturdays. They will talk about tide pooling, natural and native history, Yachats stories and beach safety.”
Safety is at front of mind for city staff, as more and more visitors flock to the Central Coast.
“We are always considering pedestrian safety,” Price said. “The best way to ensure that is taking steps, even small ones, to have fewer cars on the road.”
Purchased through grants, the 14-seat vehicle is equipped with a bike rack and wheelchair ramp, making it both accessible and supportive of alternative transportation.
Though it’s rare for a decision made by a municipality to be met with unanimous approval, this one seems to be mostly a hit.
“We have been sharing this on a lot of social media pages and the feedback has been very favorable,” Price said. “There are always going to be a few people that push back on new things, but we hope the overall positives of the project will win out.”
For more information and event dates, go to yachatsoregon.org.
• Want to check out the trolley before the first official ride? It will be open for viewing from 1 to 3 pm this Friday, Nov. 21, at Yachats City Hall, located at 501 N Hwy. 101.