The trolley, which Hamilton residents Maria and Bob Schmidt recently transported from their former hometown of Ocala, Fla., was sitting on a trailer Monday, because it does not yet have an Ohio license and isn’t yet insured.
“I’d love it to be (operating) no later than the end of November so we can start for Christmas,” said Maria Schmidt. The couple plans to operate the trolley at first primarily in the German Village area of town.
“Let me tell you: I have never put out a mailing-list (offer), and gotten so many mailing-list requests in one day,” said Schmidt. “It’s been very comforting to see such a welcome to this community.”
She plans straightforward historical tours, plus what she calls “Twisted History Tours” about “ghostly” subjects, as well as Christmas-lights trips in the near future. She also plans to offer the trolley to the city for tours when economic-development VIPs need to be shown around.
As for the pedicabs, “We had a very soft start-up during Operation Pumpkin,” said William “Tony” Gray, owner of Pedal Green Pedicab, which plans to operate its peddled cabs around the downtown business areas of High and Main streets, as well as surrounding areas.
The vehicles will be available for personal tours and will avoid operating on High and Main streets during the morning and evening rush hours, he said.
The company is seeking drivers for its four vehicles, and hopes to operate more, particularly after the proposed Spooky Nook Sports at Champion Mill indoor mega-sports complex opens. A hoped-for opening date for that complex has not yet been announced.
To become a driver, people must be at least 21 years old, have a driver’s license and pass a background check. For employment applications or more information about the cabs, go to www.pgpedicab.com, email pgpedicab@gmail.com, or call 513-773-5641.
“If the demand is great enough, we’re going to expand our fleet,” Gray said.
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