GREENSBORO, N.C. — We are in the midst of the inaugural weekend for downtown Greensboro's new trolley service, known as the Hopper Trolley.
Riders say it's exactly what Greensboro has needed.
"Easy to get back and fourth, easy to get from one side of downtown to the other," said one rider, trying out the Hopper Trolley for the first time.
Decades ago, trolley's were the ticket to get around the Gate City.
Just like all great trends, they have officially made a comeback.
Greensboro has retrofitted several city buses as Hopper Trolleys.
Each capable of seating up to 40 passengers for a free ride that travels the full route in about 30 minutes.
Those hopping on say it is a perfect way to get around downtown.
"We just went out for dinner and my husband was like 'lets go hop on the trolley' and I was like, okay," said one rider.
Another said "It's always fun to be able to come downtown in your city and be able to enjoy the outside and the nice weather. So, it's a great addition to downtown."
Business owners say the Hopper Trolley is also a boost to their business.
Sheena White owns Fiber Space on South Elm Street.
She says the trolley is going to quickly become a easy way to explore downtown Greensboro, especially as more and more businesses move downtown.
"I think it will drive business to all of us actually because it will give us the chance to not waste parking because parking is huge down here. I can hit a couple little stops in one parking trip and it's free. You can just jump on and say I am going to ride down to Fiber Space and maybe Burbon Bowl, like we did. Maybe you can even see parts of downtown you didn't get to see before," said White.
Funds from the American Rescue Plan have funded the pilot program for the next 6 months.
During that time, hours and routs could change based on rider patterns.
The hopper trolley is free and it's main route is up and down Elm Street, stopping about every block.
The trolley runs Thursday through Saturday from noon until midnight and noon until 10 p.m. on Sundays.