Hop on. What to know about new trolley system linking Fresno’s nightlife hot spots
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer has been pushing the idea of a downtown trolley for the past year, at least.
It was part of his annual State the City address last year and included in the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2023.
And last week, the FresnoHop Trolley officially began service.
The idea here is to connect Fresno’s social hubs and make the city’s nightlife safer and more accessible.
The Hop, as it’s called, utilizes three ADA-compliant, Wi-Fi connected buses designed to look like the old-school trolley cars you might find in San Francisco or New Orleans.
So, wood seats and interiors; leather hand straps.
The buses run every hour on the hour from locations at Campus Pointe and the Tower District, with stops in downtown at the Cultural Arts District and and the Brewery Districts. The trips are free and run late.
For those living downtown, it’s an easy commute into the Tower District to hit a bar or see a concert. And, vice-versa.
It should get good usage for large-scale events like the monthly ArtHop gatherings.
Riders did experience some issues with the trolley on its first weekend, including delays. At one point the buses were running every two hours, instead of on the hour.
Saturday’s rides were halted by the Veteran’s Day holiday.
According to the city, some 206 passengers took the trolley over its two-day opening run, which it called “a successful start that will continue to grow.”
The trolley resumes its service at 5 p.m. Thursday.
An old revitalization idea, made new
The idea of using public transportation to connect downtown has been a part of revitalization talk for years, with limited success.
In 2007, then-Mayor Alan Autry proposed building an actual trolley line with overhead power lines propelling street cars along Fulton Street from Olive Avenue to Kern Street near Chukchansi Park. That idea was eventually nixed.
At least twice during the mid-2000s, the city introduced lunch-time trolleys that ran through the Tower District and downtown, and there was an ArtHop trolley that ran for a time in 2012.
FresnoHop Trolley pick-up and drop-off locations
The Hop runs 5 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, except holidays. The trolleys uses existing bus stops.
Look for the green Fresno Hop sign.
Drop-off/pick-up locations:
Campus Pointe. Southeast parking lot, near the restaurants.
Brewery District. Inyo and Broadway street.
Cultural Arts District, service to Campus Pointe. Van Ness Avenue southbound at Calaveras Street.
Cultural Arts District, service to Fresno City College. Van Ness Avenue northbound at Calaveras Street.
Tower District, service to Campus Pointe. Wishon Avenue at Olive Avenue near Me-n-Ed’s.
Tower District, service to Fresno City College. Van Ness Avenue at Olive Avenue.
Fresno City College. Van Ness Avenue at University Avenue.
