Resident Desires Street Car In Bay Terrace

Enthralled by the charm of cable cars, one Bay Terrace resident is trying to bring a shuttle system to the neighborhood.

Phil Konigsberg, a member of the Bay Terrace Civic Association, is working to bring a private transportation company to carry residents of the 18 Bay Terrace co-ops to the Bay Terrace Shopping Center.

“It was a dual idea with my wife,” said Konigsberg, adding, “We were on vacation in Rhode Island last summer, and we saw…an actual trolley and it took people around the neighborhood, to the beaches, where all the good food restaurants are.”

Konigsberg said the trolley came about in that community because a Holiday Inn owner in North Kingston, Rhode Island wanted to connect his guests to local hot spots.

The owners of the shopping center, the Cord Meyer company, haven't said yes, but are open to the idea, Konigsberg said—as long as they don’t have to pay for it. So the longtime BTCA member is shopping around for transportation companies that would provide the service for rider fares, or revenue from store advertising.

Konigsberg isn’t sure what type of conveyance might be used, because he is in conversations with a few different companies.

“The vehicle at this point is not clear,” said Konigsberg, “depending on which company that Cord Meyer [might] choose to select.”

Most likely, he said, it will be a small, enclosed bus that seats 24-26 customers.

He may have a while yet before the bus comes to pick him up

One employee of Cord Meyer said the company, “hasn’t moved on that yet, they’ve just been speaking about.”

To keep up with updates on this story, like the Bayside Patch facebook page.