Pierce Transit Gig Harbor Trolley sees 20-percent increase in summer ridership

The summer temperatures weren’t the only thing on the rise in Gig Harbor this year.

The Pierce Transit Gig Harbor Trolley service saw an increase of 20 percent in ridership this summer, according to Rebecca Japhet, public relations officer with Pierce Transit.

There was a total of 14,149 Trolley boardings this summer, Japhet said.

Keeping track of the number of boardings is how Pierce Transit measures the ridership popularity of its routes.

“We’re very happy with that,” Japhet said of the ridership numbers. “(The Trolley) is a rousing success.”

She credits the rise in ridership to the outreach and partnership between Pierce Transit and its local partners.

“This community has embraced the old fashioned, colorful trolleys — they have a home in Gig Harbor,” said Karen Scott, tourism and communications director for the city of Gig Harbor. “This summer’s expanded route worked well for both residents and visitors. We look forward to welcoming them back in 2016.”

The city of Gig Harbor, Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, the Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance and the Merchants of Uptown all partnered with Pierce Transit to provide subsidized Trolley service in Gig Harbor.

“We just think it’s important to have these types of services because it’s good for our community as a whole,” said Kristin Undem, tenant coordinator at Uptown Gig Harbor. “What’s good for the city is good for us.”

The Trolley service ran from June 5 to Sept. 7. The service ran every 30 minutes through Gig Harbor, connecting Uptown to Downtown.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Pierce Transit Gig Harbor Trolley sees 20-percent increase in summer ridership."