Hop on a Trolley
Written by Anthony Garzilli
Photos courtesy of The Breeze Facebook page
Want to enjoy the sights of the summer but don’t want to be stressed driving in traffic? Hop aboard a trolley.
The Breeze, Hilton Head Island’s free public trolley, is a fantastic way to get to where you want to go.
The trolley runs through Labor Day (Sept. 4). The service runs each day from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Breeze is scheduled to serve each stop every 30 minutes. Last year it saw more than 42,000 passengers.
This is the service’s sixth season of operation.
The Breeze includes the South Island Route, which uses full-size trolley vehicles connecting the Coligny Beach/South Island area with the Shelter Cove area.
Major destinations along this route include Coligny Beach Park, Coligny Plaza, Lowcountry Celebration Park, the South Forest Beach resorts and businesses, the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, the resorts and businesses along Pope Avenue, Park Plaza, the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort, the Village at Wexford, Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, and Shelter Cove Towne Centre.
The Mid-Island Route utilizes shuttle vehicles to connect people in the Shelter Cove and Folly Field areas with transfers to and from the South Island Route.
Major destinations along this route include Shelter Cove Towne Centre, Hilton Head Resort, the Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort, Fiddler’s Cove, Island Club, Marriott’s Barony Beach Resort, the Westin Resort & Spa, Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club, and the Island Links Resort.
New to this route is an additional trolley stop on Folly Field Road near William Hilton Parkway.
The Breeze has invested in a safety enhancement: Each of the Breeze’s four trolleys has an “annunciator” system which alerts nearby pedestrians and bicyclists when the trolleys are turning.
The system’s announcements are made in English and Spanish.
“Safety is always our highest priority, and we all know how busy the pathways and intersections on the island are —especially during the high season. We have invested in this new technology as another way to avoid the potential for any incidents,” said Mary Lou Franzoni, executive director. “If we avoid even just one accident with the new ‘talking trolleys,’ it is well worth the investment.”
Use the free Catch The Breeze mobile app to locate and track the buses in real time.
South Island Route Stops
• Shelter Cove Towne Centre (in front of Jane Bistro)
• Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina (by Neptune Statue)
• Village at Wexford at US 278 (southbound)
• Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort (southbound)
• Park Plaza
• Deallyon at Cordillo Parkway
• Lowcountry Celebration Park/The Sandbox Museum
• Coligny Beach Park
• Courtyard by Marriott Hotel
• Waterside Resort at Pope Avenue
• Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort (northbound)
• Village at Wexford at Dunnagans Alley (northbound)
Mid-Island Route Stops
• Shelter Cove Towne Centre (in front of Jane Bistro)
• Hilton Head Resort at US 278
• Folly Field Road at Lucky Beach & Adventure Cove
• Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort
• Island Club on Folly Field Road
• Marriott Barony Beach on Folly Field Road
• Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa
• Port Royal Golf and Racquet Club
• Island Links Resort on Coggins Point Road
• Shelter Cove Lane at US 278
