Marina train tracks draw two unsolicited vendors offering up recreation concepts.

Over the summer of 2021, a new attraction got the attention of people in Marina: handcar tours, a ride on the abandoned train tracks that run along the west side of Highway 1 in a cart, pushed by up to four people using a seesaw motion.

Museum of Handcar Technology operated a caravan of 12 handcars for three months on a trial basis, checking the feasibility of their concept on the tracks in Marina. During that time they did over 6,000 tours. The company reports 75 percent of riders were from the San Francisco Bay Area and 15 percent were from Monterey County.

For the coming summer season, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County received two proposals: One from Museum of Handcar Technology and a second one from Davis-based Mendocino Railway (using the name Monterey Bay Rail). Mendocino Railway proposes running a similar project, but using railbikes.

Handcar Technology seeks to operate seasonally and expand its route south toward Sand City, while Mendocino Railway is seeking to run year-round.

Both proposals are unsolicited. “We are not looking to have someone lease the train tracks on our own,” TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck says. Per TAMC policy, Muck says the agency has to dismiss both requests; the board will decide what to do next among three options when they meet on March 23: reject all the proposals; release a request for proposals; or lease the train tracks to the city of Marina. If the third option is selected, Marina would be in charge of releasing an RFP.

The train tracks are on the path of the SURF! project approved by Monterey-Salinas Transit.