Getting around: Tourist season shepherds in return of free island trolley on Hilton Head
Tens of thousands of tourists will soon descend on Hilton Head Island, and The Breeze trolley service is returning for its sixth year of operation to help alleviate congestion on the island’s roads and parking lots.
The first trolleys will run at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, according to the transit service’s website, and the free service will continue until Sept. 4. Trolleys will operate from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Trolleys service each stop every 30 minutes, and the full schedule is available here.
The service remains free thanks to grants from local governments across the Palmetto Breeze Transit’s operating area, Palmetto Breeze spokesman Brian Sullivan said. In 2022, the Town of Hilton Head awarded a $282,404 grant to operate the transit system. The organization has requested a $249,911 grant for fiscal year 2023.
Riders can use two separate routes. The South Island route uses full-sized trolleys and connects the Coligny Beach and South Island area to Shelter Cove, with several stops along the way. The Mid-island route runs smaller shuttle vehicles to connect riders from the Shelter Cove and Folly Field areas to the South Island route, with several destinations of its own, like Shelter Cove Town Centre and Hilton Head Resort.
The Breeze’s service won’t be altered for the upcoming RBC Heritage golf tournament, which will operate its own shuttles, Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he expects the trolley to continue reaching one of its primary goals — keeping visitors off the roads while still letting them enjoy the island’s attractions.
“What we’re really trying to do as a community, I think, is educating visitors that you can do Hilton Head without driving around,” Sullivan said. “You can do it without renting a car, if you fly in. There are alternatives. Not just the trolley, other things, too, but the trolley is a vital cog in that because it connects the major arteries.”
This year, trolleys are outfitted with an additional safety feature to avoid accidents with pedestrians and cyclists. The “talking trolleys” system plays audio in Spanish and English to alert anyone nearby when the vehicle is making a turn.
2021 was a “high water mark” for trolley use due to more visitors flocking to the island after COVID-19 lockdowns, Sullivan said, with around 52,000 riders. Last year, ridership fell to 43,000, but Sullivan expects that number to grow with new destinations along the route, like The Bank beer garden, set to open soon.
Based on average ridership, Sullivan estimated the trolley has kept about 16,000 cars off the road during tourist season each year.
This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 11:33 AM.
