It will be even more convenient to travel through Gatlinburg when the city begins offering free trolley service to patrons along the length of the Parkway beginning Friday.
The Free Parkway Trolley Program was such a big success last year on a trial basis that it has been implemented for the 2012 season, allowing visitors and local residents to board one of three specially designated trolleys at numerous stops along the Parkway at no charge. The shuttle service route extends from Traffic Light #1 at the north end of town to Light #10 at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“We are pleased to once again offer this very popular free trolley service during our peak season,” said City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle. “It provides our visitors, residents and business community more accessibility to sections of our downtown business district.”
The free specially painted open-air shuttles will operate from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily from June 15- Aug. 18. Extra stops have been established along the special route to bring the number to 40 along Parkway.
Nearly 1,300 riders took advantage of the Free Parkway Trolley daily during the 49 days of the Pilot Program in 2011.
Approximately 800,000 patrons use Gatlinburg’s Trolleys annually, making it the fifth-largest Mass Transit System in the state. It originated in 1980 with only six trolleys, but the fleet has grown to 20-plus trolleys servicing approximately 50 miles of trolley routes.
All Gatlinburg trolleys are handicap accessible.
You can now hop aboard the Gatlinburg trolleys all day long for just $2 a day with unlimited access to the Red, Blue, Purple, Yellow and Green Trolley routes. The $2 Pass is sold at City Welcome Centers as well as at City Hall and the Mass Transit Center, plus numerous Gatlinburg lodging facilities.
To watch a video about Gatlinburg’s Mass Transit System or view the current location of trolleys, or for additional information, visit www.gatlinburgtrolley.org. Click on the GPS Trolley locator and a City map will appear pinpointing trolleys in service. The box color indicates the trolley route color.
For more information, visit any City Welcome Center or call 865 436-0535.