POULSBO — Little Norway’s streets may be a far cry from the busy hills of San Francisco, but one of the City by the Bay’s most famous attractions could soon be duplicated near the shores of Liberty Bay.

With potential to solve several difficulties in downtown Poulsbo, a trolley system proposed and spearheaded by councilwoman Kim Crowder could make a show on city thoroughfares as early as 2008. Sporting the benefits of easy access, a dependable schedule and charming town attraction, Crowder’s plan is tentatively expected to be put through a trial run this coming May.

“When people think of buses, there’s such a stigma. It’s too much work to figure out how to get on them,” Crowder said. “This is tourist friendly. People want to ride on it just because it’s a novelty.”

The novelty of a bus made to look like an old-time trolley car with wood and brass features, but suited with all the advantages of modern transportation, would offer a charismatic but practical approach to affordable transportation, Crowder said. Her biggest hope is to find a hybrid option to reduce pollution as the vehicle winds its way through each of Poulsbo’s business districts. The plan will get people out of their cars and off State Route 305, she said.

Poulsbo Mayor Kathryn Quade has given the plan a thumbs up.

“It’s a great idea,” she said. “Any way we can link those areas is going to be beneficial for them and the city.”

Crowder said she hopes to develop a schedule for the trolley that could loop the city in an hour, allowing for easy and dependable scheduling. Riding costs would be minimum, possibly just a quarter, she said.

The trolley would follow a route through downtown, past North Kitsap High School, Central Market, College Marketplace and the Poulsbo Village. Continuously taking turns through Poulsbo during peak business hours will connect the city’s commerce and allow employees to travel for lunch or meetings without the worry of finding parking, she said.

“We needed some kind of loop transit,” she said, adding that it would create one large business community for the city. “The better that community of businesses is, the more people are going to want to enjoy them.”

Crowder, along with Councilman Jim Henry, has met with Kitsap Transit officials to discuss options for the transportation system. Kitsap Transit service development director John Clauson said Chattanooga, Tenn. has an electric bus system that could possibly be recreated here. The trolley system will create another aspect of notoriety and interest for the North End area, he said.

“It’s something that we have always considered,” he said. “We’re certainly not opposed to it.”

Clauson said the biggest obstacle faced right now is a fiscal one, but a joint operation between Kitsap Transit and the city of Poulsbo to test feasibility is certainly an option.

“At this point we need to sit down with Poulsbo and see what opportunities each budget can provide,” he said.

Henry said the plan is one both economic and enjoyable.

“It’s so doable, I don’t know why nobody thought of it before,” he said. “Several cities have these things.”

He said another advantage of the trolley system is it would allow boaters coming from the port a chance to see the entire town without bringing over a car. They’re just fun to ride anyway, he added.

“It’s not a far out thing, cause they are available,” Henry said of the trolleys. “What we’re hoping to do is have everything running by next year.”

Crowder said the trolley system will most likely start as a summer amenity to the area, and depending on response, could become a year-round system.

“It started as a small little seed of an idea, now it’s grown,” she said.