Fresno's midday trolley is an intriguing addition to the city's downtown transit system, and the key to its success will be in the marketing strategy.

A similar service that ferried people to the Tower District at lunchtime was unsuccessful, and we are encouraged that the idea didn't die with that effort. We can only hope that careful study was given to make this trolley more responsive to the needs of downtown workers.

Fresnans are not accustomed to reliable, swift transit to get them out to lunch and back to work on time anywhere in town, so it will take exceptional service and outstanding marketing to earn their trust.

However, there's no reason why this cannot work if the city will listen to its customers and be responsive to their requests. Many big cities have such conveniences and Assistant City Manager Bruce Rudd is right when he points out that downtown workers will have the convenience of leaving their cars in their parking spaces all day. How quaint to just hop on the trolley for a quick ride to your favorite sandwich shop. We'd all rather skip that irritating hunt for a vacant spot during the hectic lunch hour.

Once again, this is another small addition of downtown's complex picture. The lunchtime trolley service, along with free Wi-Fi, better housing and more businesses all add to the charm of an urban lifestyle. City life is appealing to a lot of people, particularly young professionals, who are attracted to areas with lots of people, creativity, entertainment options and boutique, rather than chain, shopping.

We hope the trolley service proves successful, but it won't stand a chance unless downtown workers at least give it a try. Why not make a date with your officemates to use it in the next few weeks -- what a cool way to celebrate a birthday or the beginning of a new project. If the routing or the service needs tweaking to make it work for you and your colleagues, let the city know. And if it's fun -- spread the word.