Free downtown McKinney trolley connects passengers to the past – and to parking
MCKINNEY — In the heart of historic McKinney, a piece of the past has come back to life.
This month, the city began running a free trolley modeled after the interurban railway that once ran through downtown.
"It feels like I'm back in time," said Kyree Swinney, who took a recent ride with his family.
You can find one of the original train cars at the Interurban Railway Museum in Plano and spot the similarities from the colors, to the logo design, and even the conductor's uniform.
The rail ran from Denison through McKinney to Dallas and eventually all the way to Waco.
From 1908 to 1948, it carried passengers and, in some cases, mail, helping connect Texans and expanding where they could live, work, and visit.
"The railway system itself was once of the earliest forms of public transportation, " said museum director Seth Blackmon "Now anyone from Plano or even Dallas or even south of Dallas could look to McKinney for opportunities to work or even live."
It's the rail, says Mckinney Cultural District Director Andrew Jones that helped make the city what it is today.
"The rail was really a turning point," said Jones. "That led to a huge explosion of growth for McKinney."
He's hoping its modern-day twin will once again help the city grow.
"There's about 180 small businesses here," said Jones. "Parking on the main square is not always available, but we have ample parking just off the square."
The trolley connects all that parking space to the city's shops, restaurants, and nightlife, as well as the new city hall and event center now under construction.
With funding from McKinney Main Street, sponsorships, the McKinney Community Development Corporation, and hotel tax dollars, passengers pay nothing to ride the air-conditioned trolley.
The real magic, though, according to Jones, is giving people a chance to step back in time.
"The trolley works because of the history," he said. "When we launched the service we had people starting at 9 in the morning waiting to ride it… People want to feel connected to the past and the larger sense of community."
Many passengers are just turning up for the experience.
"I get a lot of people on and they just want to ride around," said driver, Dan Pozycki
For more information on the trolley's hours and routes click here.