Free Trolley Coming in April to Old Town

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - There is now a new way to get to Old Town in Alexandria.

The King Street Trolley, with its lively brass bell, will be available for residents, visitors and workers every 15 minutes, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. And here's the best part: It's free.

Metro riders can hop on between the King Street Station and the Old Town waterfront, or at any of the designated stops every two blocks along King Street.

The Alexandria City Council agreed to fund the trolley service to encourage D.C. residents to shop and dine in Old Town.

City leaders hope the circulation of the four trolley cars with paned windows and big rubber wheels will help manage congestion, reduce pollution and increase car pool efforts in the area.

Jim Maslanka, Alexandria's chief of transit services, says they have designed the trolley to capture hundreds of new tourists coming over by Alexandria's new water taxi service from New National Harbor in Prince George's County.

The new trolley attraction is undergoing test runs now, and is expected to begin April 1.

** This story contains video from WTOP's Hank Silverberg. Please click the "play" button below to watch.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP Radio. All Rights Reserved.)