By Katie King    katie@ewbullock.com

February 17, 2017 – Pensacola Beach, FL – The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) will once again launch their free, open-air trolley service along Pensacola Beach on March 3 and run it through October 1, 2017.

The 2017 trolley schedule is as follows:

• March 3 – May 21: runs every FRI, SAT, SUN from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• May 26 – September 4: runs DAILY from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• September 8 – October 1: runs FRI, SAT, SUN from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The trolleys help alleviate traffic congestion by allowing visitors to park anywhere and have a convenient way to tour the whole island.

“We want to ensure that all visitors to Pensacola Beach have an opportunity to explore our island by trolley,” said Paolo Ghio, executive director of the SRIA. “So park the car and let one of Escambia County Area Transit’s experienced drivers give you and your family a relaxing tour.”

Two trolleys will operate concurrently, one traveling eastbound and the other westbound. Each trolley makes 35 stops between Park West near the entrance gate to Gulf Islands National Seashore and the entrance to Portofino Island Resort near Park East. This year, a third trolley will operate during peak summer tourism season in the core area from May 26 until September 4.

The energy-efficient, open-air trolleys run on clean diesel fuel and are outfitted with a GPS device that electronically tracks its location, updating its position every 30 seconds.

Visitors can access the real-time trolley schedule four ways:

•    Visit the “Trolley Tracker” at visitpensacolabeach.com/trolleytracker
•    Call 850-602-9384 and enter the trolley stop number
•    Text SRIA (space) and the trolley stop number to 41411
•    Scan the QR code posted at each trolley stop with a smartphone

The trolley system, funded by the SRIA, is free to all riders. To see a map of all trolley stop locations, or for more information, go to visitpensacolabeach.com.