Seasonal tram, trolley services return to Lee County

The Fort Myers Beach tram and Fort Myers River District trolley are back, with a new way to pay for the tram: You can load money onto a card before boarding, then simply tap it and ride.

The tram service is actually starting two months, with rides beginning Sunday. Normally, it starts up in January, but this year, LeeTran made the decision to start in November to accommodate the growing number of tourists. The tram will take you all along Fort Myers Beach, starting from the public library and going all the way to Bowditch Point, making several stops in between.

The free Fort Myers River District trolleys have also returned and will get you around downtown and its surrounding areas. The Blue 500 line loops through downtown starting from the Oasis Condos and the Gold 505 line connects North Fort Myers to downtown, with the looped route starting at the Rosa Parks Transportation Center. LeeTran director Robert Codie says the beach tram and trolleys are a win not just for tourists, but for locals and local businesses as well.

“Our peak months start in November and go through April,” Codie said. “We have a service that we can give back to our community by getting cars off the road and getting people onto public transportation, and experience the true environment that we have here in Southwest Florida.”

By offering a less stressful way for people to get around, Codie says they’ll be more likely to take advantage of local businesses. Lee County is just as pleased about the tram and trolleys being back as locals are.

“The first question I always get: ‘Why aren’t we doing this year-round?'” Codie said. “‘Why do you take this away from us?’ We’re so excited. It’s very complimentary to the service that we provide to our community. These are very exciting times because our ridership goes up, our demand increases and we get to reduce and mitigate traffic congestion on our major arteries here in Fort Myers, to include Fort Myers Beach.

There are also several year-round changes that began Sunday regarding specific LeeTran bus routes. For more information on buses, trams and trolleys, visit the Lee County website.