Essex County Board of Supervisors Chairman Shaun Gillilland, of Willsboro, said in a news release Monday, March 16 that the county’s public transportation system will cease operations for now amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus. The service “will not be available to the public,” according to the release.

The county’s ski shuttle between Lake Placid and the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center in Wilmington has also stopped running. The state Olympic Regional Development Authority announced Sunday, March 15 that it would close the ski center indefinitely.

The Placid Xpress, a free trolley service used by both visitors and residents, runs a route through the heart of the village, with the Olympic Jumping Complex at one end and the Price Chopper supermarket at the other.

Village Mayor Craig Randall on March 16 said the service averages roughly 300 passengers per day, and some residents use it to get to and from work each day.

He expressed concern that the trolley — which is run by the county and funded through local, state and federal funding — could lose some of its federal and state backing if it’s not moving passengers.