Trolley covers the city

T he ride on the Port Aransas Trolley isn't free anymore, but close to it. A ride on the trolley only will

Fares on the Flexi-B went from 50 cents to $1.25 per ride.

For the fare, a rider may ride the Flexi-B from Port Aransas into Corpus Christi and mainstream onto any of the RTA's fixed routes. The idea was conceived from the RTA's B-Line Paratransit Service.

A reservation must be made prior to travel on the Flexi-B. Normally, 24-hour notice is required for a trip, but many requests for travel are filled on a short notice, hence the name Flexi-B. Pat Garrett, the city's executive assistant said, "We try to be obliging with trips and to accommodate as many people as we can." The key word for the Port Aransas Flexi-B is flexibility.

The Flexi-B accommodates persons with medical appointments on its 7:30 a.m. run, Monday-Friday, by taking them directly to the doctor's office, hospital or clinic.

Due to the success of the Flexi-B, in 1997 the RTA established a new route in Port Aransas, called the Port A Shuttle. The Port A Shuttle (the trolley route) makes a 60- minute round trip serving the entire city. This service runs Monday through Sunday, from just before 10 a.m. until just before 6 p.m.

Colorful signs mark the trolley route, and riders may flag down the trolley at any location along the route.

The city council is considering shortening the trolley route, eliminating the leg that runs south on State Hwy. 361 to reduce the time it takes the trolley to make its rounds. However, even if the council approves the move, it will take some time to work its way through the Regional Transportation Authority approval process.

Trolley route runs from Roberts Point Park to the beach, out State Hwy. 361 and to Community Park before circling back to Roberts Point.