MASSACHUSETTS > CONCORD CHAPTER
Have you heard about the new, low-carbon way to get around Concord? My 2 daughters and I got to experience a ride on the all-new Concord Trolley at a recent event sponsored by The Concord Chapter of Mothers Out Front, a local group of parents and grandparents working to reduce emissions and ensure a livable climate for all children.
The free trolley launched on July 2 as a pilot program. It’s a great opportunity for Concord visitors and residents to travel car-free to Concord Center and West Concord Village. The trolley also serves as a convenient connection to both the Reformatory Branch Trail and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
The family ride led by Mothers Out Front started at the Concord Visitors Center and stopped at many great Concord locations, including the Concord Museum, North Bridge Visitor Center, and Orchard House. There are 8 stops on the trolley’s route, and service runs from 9am until 4pm, 7 days per week. As Concord residents, we can easily forget all the incredible historic sites we have in our backyard, and this new hassle-free way to get around town is a great way to reconnect with all that Concord has to offer.
Mothers Out Front’s goal for the event was to boost awareness of the new trolley service, empower local residents and visitors to choose low-carbon transportation options, and teach children to be confident public transit riders. The event began at the Concord Visitor’s Center with a public-transit themed storytime for children. Then families from Concord, Carlisle, Acton, Lincoln, and New York piled into the trolley, filling it to capacity.
Heidi Chisholm, who was visiting family in Concord, attended the event with her grandson and was pleased to see the town offering more sustainable transportation options. As an elementary school teacher, Chisholm noted the value of teaching children to be good citizens from an early age and the importance of adults leading by example. “We must do all we can to safeguard the future for our children and grandchildren.”
The Concord Trolley pilot will run through mid-November. The trolley is ADA accessible and the town hopes to soon add a rack to accommodate two bicycles. Through its Climate Action & Resilience Plan, the Town of Concord has set the goal that “everyone has access to zero-carbon transportation options to commute and get around Town.” Mothers Out Front hopes the trolley will become a permanent transit option in Concord, as “almost 40% of Concord’s greenhouse gas emissions are the result of transportation, mostly from vehicles driven by Concord residents. According to the 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, Concord residents were collectively driving 578 million miles per year.” (source: Sustainable Concord)
As for me, I’m looking forward to hopping on the trolley in West Concord with my sister when she visits us from Florida in October. What a great way for visitors to see the town without the hassle of driving – rain or shine! Next time you or your visitors are thinking about doing an errand or seeing the sites of Concord, sit back and relax and hop on the free Concord Trolley! The full Trolley Schedule and Trolley Route is available on the Visit Concord site.
If you and your family would like to see a listing of Mother’s Out Front events like the trolley ride, you can sign up for our mailing list here.
Lynda Ferrari is a volunteer with the Concord Chapter of Mothers Out Front.
Concord Trolley Resources:
Resources for Children:
- All Aboard! The Sustainable Transport Tour – a printable activity booklet for young riders by Mothers Out Front
- Books for Children about Sustainable Transport:
- The Bus is for Us! – written by Michael Rosen ; illustrations by Gillian Tyler
- Room for Everyone, written by Naaz Khan ; illustrations by Mercè López
- Go, bikes, go!, text by Addie Boswell ; illustrations by Alexander Mostov (board book)