by Staff
Downtown Trolley riders might have noticed a little something different last week.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority has added three new trolleys to its fleet, bringing the total to six on downtown streets.
The new trolleys were scheduled to begin service Monday, but the JTA had them running by late last week.
“They are not replacing the old trolleys,” said Maria Williams, manager of marketing development for JTA. “We’re just enhancing the current system.”
Williams said the extra trolleys are needed in case of breakdowns or other unforeseen circumstances.
“If we have trolleys out for maintenance, occasionally we’ve had to substitute buses,” said Williams. “Now, we won’t have to do that, and we can continue to build an identity with the trolleys.”
While riders may only notice subtle changes such as wider aisles, wooden seats, a middle door similar to buses and subway-style straps so people standing have something to hold, Williams said the new trolleys are actually a much higher grade than the old ones.
And the price — $225,000 for each one — was right.
“We were able to buy them as part of a statewide bid, which saved us some money” said Williams. “We were able to get a better product at a lower cost. We’re making the tax dollars work for us.”
Though the trolley fleet has doubled, Williams said currently there are no plans to alter or add new routes
“We’re not looking at anything right now,” said Williams. “But we are always reviewing the system quarterly. We’re always looking for improvement.”
Currently, there are three downtown trolley routes, the Azalea, Magnolia and Sunflower. There is also a San Marco route.
The trolley runs every weekday from 6:30 a.m.- 7 p.m. in 10-minute intervals.
Cost to ride is free.