The planned introduction of commuter trolley service for the Aldergrove area has gained a new ally.
Jim Storie, the owner and CEO of the Vancouver Trolley Company, has agreed to come out to Aldergrove this week and lend his experience and expertise to the Aldergrove trolley project. Storie is a well known and respected expert regarding trolleys and operations.
The Aldergrove Trolley Committee purchased a 1980s model trolley last month and will be installing a new engine powered by propane, to replace the older and dirtier diesel engine.
The trolley will serve as a "feeder" service to the existing TransLink and BC Transit buses which connect downtown Aldergrove to Langley and Abbotsford. The proposed trolley service will provide connections to the north and south sides of Aldergrove which currently are not served by transit buses.
These trolley links will include Gloucester Industrial Estates, which employs thousands on the north side of Aldergrove. It will also provide connections for persons of all ages who reside in the rural areas of both north and south Aldergrove.
In addition, the trolley would be available for bookings for special events charters, such as wedding parties. Fees for this as well as normal passenger fares have not been set yet, but it is proposed that regular daily service begins after Labour Day for a $2 fare per passenger.
At a recent meeting of the "Million Dollar Neighbourhood" families who have spearheaded the effort to bring a trolley service into Aldergrove, a working group was elected to assume interim responsibility for ongoing operations.
Working group members Lynne Vanlaarhoven, Anna Nosek and Vicki Austad have been busy reviewing where the project sits and doing what is necessary to move it along.
They are also pleased with Jim Storie's offer of advice and assistance.
“We are excited at the prospect of working with someone that has so much to offer us,” says Lynne VanLaarhoven.
“This is the kind of opportunity that all start-ups can only hope for.”
A project like this is the result of community energy and commitment. The members of the working group say they are pleased to work with everyone in the community until the next general meeting scheduled on or about September 6, when a board of directors will be elected for the Aldergrove Trolley Company's non-profit society.