Lexington's Tourism Committee will get its first look at July 2026 Visitors Center foot traffic, gift-shop sales, and Liberty Ride Trolley revenue when it meets Monday, Aug. 31, at 3 p.m. in the Selectman Room at Town Hall.

The stakes are high. The data arrives during what town officials have called the Liberty Ride's final season under its current vendor contract. At a March 9 Select Board meeting, Town Manager Bartha reported that the town had issued eight requests for proposals over five years for trolley service, each drawing only one response. Bartha said staff do not recommend seeking a new contract, citing a projected annual operating loss of roughly $125,000, and four of the five Select Board members said at the meeting they did not see the Liberty Ride as currently fiscally viable. The Board did not vote on the matter, instead asking staff to return with proposals for enhancing, augmenting or replacing the service.

The 90-minute guided trolley tour sold 8,772 tickets in the 2025 season, filling 55 percent of available seats and generating $254,000 in revenue against $180,000 in direct costs and $122,000 in indirect costs, according to Select Board minutes.

"While financial viability is not always the deciding factor, it is pertinent to this particular decision," Tourism Committee member Marsha Baker said at the March 9 Select Board meeting. "The Liberty Ride is losing money."

Monday's agenda also includes a seasonal initiatives update from the Marketing Working Group, committee member updates on the Cultural District, and an update from Visitors Center Manager Stacia Cooper. The committee is chaired by Margaret Coppe.

The meeting comes amid a leadership gap in the department. At the July 6 Select Board meeting, Town Manager Bartha said the Economic Development Director had been recruited to lead a nonprofit in Boston. That position's line appears blank on the Aug. 31 agenda, as does the Tour Services Coordinator role.

The Select Board also voted 5-0 on July 6 to raise the Tourism revolving fund limit by $203,000 as part of end-of-year budget adjustments.

Charter and independent tours served about 27,000 visitors in 2025, more than triple the Liberty Ride's ridership. Select Board liaison Doug Lucente warned in March that once the trolley is gone, restarting it would be difficult.

The hybrid meeting is open to the public at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue or remotely via Microsoft Teams. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28.