Astoria Riverfront Trolley increases service after slow start to season

Rebecca Norden-Bright, The Daily Astorian, Ore.
·2 min read

Passengers on the Astoria Riverfront Trolley can now ride from Ninth Street to 39th Street — a reduced route, but an expansion of service from the start of the trolley season in late March, when the trolley only traveled between the Astoria Riverwalk Inn and Sixth Street.

The disruptions to trolley service have been caused by the teardown of the Buoy Beer Co. building on the riverfront between Seventh and Eighth streets.

Astoria Riverfront Trolley

The Astoria Riverfront Trolley operates from Ninth Street to 39th Street.

David Reid, the executive director of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, explained that the trolley is able to safely cross the area near the teardown without passengers.

“Every morning they go carefully through the Buoy Beer section with no passengers on, and then are able to pick up passengers on the Ninth Street side,” Reid said. “That’s a big improvement for everybody concerned. Lots of people wanting to ride it.”

A portion of Buoy Beer’s waterfront facility collapsed into the Columbia River in June 2022. The city rerouted a section of the Riverwalk in December after a further collapse.

Company leadership has tried to find a strategy to safely tear the building down.

David Kroening, Buoy Beer’s president and general manager, said the company is hoping to make more progress toward the teardown in June, but is still working with contractors to determine the process.

“We’re in the middle of working with like five contractors, trying to figure out how to remove a building over the river safely and environmentally responsibly, and cost effectively,” Kroening said. “And so I don’t have — that’s what we’re literally trying to figure out, what piece of equipment to use, how we go about it. And so I don’t have those kinds of details quite yet.”

Reid said the chamber is looking forward to having the trolley route fully restored when the teardown is complete.

“I think we’re all hoping that Buoy Beer can get their challenges resolved,” Reid said. “But I think we’re at a place right now where we’re happy and we’re looking towards an even better next couple of weeks.”