YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Trolleys are back on track, celebrating Valentine’s weekend with nearly 300 people, more than three-quarters of which not from Yakima.
The event featured a vintage Valentine theme on Friday, complete with music and Polaroid pictures. The focus on Saturday was all about the kids.
Just four weeks ago, the future of the Yakima Valley Trolleys was uncertain. Now, with a new operating agreement, the trolleys have kicked off the year with a brand-new event, demonstrating their value to the community and their commitment to year-round events.
“We want to broaden our reach. And I think that we’re doing that,” said Treasurer Greg Johnsen.
The weekend’s activities included coloring, face painting, a group art project, and rides on Pine Street. This marked the first event since the trolleys’ operating agreement was renewed after a year of uncertainty.
“We’re really grateful to the city council for extending another five-year operating agreement for us. I think that people really turned out in a big way. The council meetings in January were packed full of people talking about how important the trolleys are to the community. And I think that the council listened to that and heard that,” Johnsen said.
Johnsen shared that the event was organized in just a few weeks following the renewed agreement. However, the trolleys face another challenge as they aim to restore their route to Selah, which requires overcoming two obstacles.
“One is the bridge, which is being repaired. You know, the grant funding was already secured for that. The other obstacle is a railroad crossing where we intersect with another railroad, and we’re currently seeking private funding to pay for those repairs. Once those two repairs are done, we will be able to continue to Selah,” said Johnsen.
An upcoming city council vote on 6th Avenue could impact the trolleys’ future. The decision involves whether to keep the tracks or pave over them. Johnsen emphasized the importance of the Selah route.
“It’s a much bigger tourist draw than just running on Pine Street. So we think that it has a lot of importance for the community in terms of how we can offer what we can offer to tourists. It brings tourists directly to downtown Selah. So it’s something that we feel is really important. Our ridership and revenues are also higher when we’re running to Selah, and it helps the trolleys be more self-sustaining, which I know is important for council. I hope that we don’t make any decisions prematurely, you know, before we’ve kind of exhausted all the alternatives,” said Johnsen.
Looking ahead, Johnsen mentioned plans for more year-round events, including a special one for Saint Patrick’s Day. This marks a new chapter for the Yakima Valley Trolleys as they strive to remain a vital part of the community.
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