Riverside Avondale Night Trolley

[ProjectMaximus]

Great work, Field!! Seriously, very good.

[fieldafm]

Ok, got it. So if you want to go from say Peles to The Landing you would transfer onto the Downtown Loop bus at said Five Points location?  Will you be allowed to transfer free of charge of pay a new fee?  If new fee then it makes the day pass even more attractive.

Yes, the $4 STAR card is by far the most attractive option. Without it, each time you board the trolley would cost $1.50.

[jaxlore]

Yes!!!! This is exactly what I wanted if I can go from Riverside to downtown and back im set!

http://members.jacksonville.com/news/2014-06-30/story/jta-test-downtown-night-trolley-service

The Riverside Trolley began service on May 5, 2008.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority plans to run a night trolley in downtown on two weekend nights in August in hopes of replicating the early success of a similar service in Riverside.
If enough riders turn out Aug. 1-2 to use the service, JTA will consider making the route a pilot program and potentially a permanent fixture.

The tentative plan calls for trolleys to stop near the Jacksonville Landing and the downtown entertainment district called The Elbow, and then loop back toward Riverside and connect with the Riverside-Avondale Night Trolley on Margaret Street.

The trolleys would run from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Brad Thoburn, director of strategic planning and research for JTA, said several businesses in the Landing and The Elbow approached the authority about creating the route.

Those businesses have agreed to pay for the estimated $1,800 cost of running the service for the two August nights, he said.

Last week, the JTA board agreed to make the Riverside-Avondale service permanent after a pilot program showed an ability to "attract strong ridership."

In the first five months of service, the trolley carried 1,122 passenger trips per weekend, and about 28 passengers per hour, which was enough for JTA staff to recommend making it a permanent service.

Those results give JTA hope the downtown service has potential.

"There seems to be a good buzz about it," Thoburn said.

Unlimited-ride, single-day passes will cost $4, and a single ride will cost $1.50.

The route and stops should be final in coming weeks. Leigh Ann Rassler, JTA's public relations manager, said details about the service will be posted on JTA's website — jtafla.com — and social media pages once they are finalized.

Information on the Riverside-Avondale service can be found at riversideavondalenighttrolley.com.

Nate Monroe: (904) 359-4289

[fieldafm]

The Riverside Avondale Night Trolley rides this weekend... should have great weather. Beat those end of summer blues by leaving the car at home and visiting some local businesses in the neighborhood by way of the trolley!!

[fieldafm]

Should be a beautiful weekend for the trolley.

You can purchase a STAR card to ride all night for only $4 at:
Mellow Mushroom Avondale
Let The Eat Cake
Open Road Bicycles of Jacksonville
The Silver Cow
European Street Cafe
Intuition Ale Works
Bold City Brewery
Grassroots Natural Market.

[MusicMan]

Be sure to post the details in the residential hotspots downtown, i.e. 11E Forsyth, The Carling, Lofts, Churchwell, The Berkman, even City Place. IN the lobbies, in the elevators. This is a potential game changer. 

I would also call it "The Riverside Connector".

[fieldafm]

The Riverside Avondale Night Trolley does not presently connect to downtown.

[MusicMan]

Ok thought that it did. So it only runs throughout R-A correct? 

And a separate trolley running downtown?

Any chance of a connector in the future?

[jaxjaguar]

Wait they're not doing the transfer at five points anymore for downtown???

[fieldafm]

Downtown was a one time trial last month.

It has not yet been determined whether that will evolve into a more lengthy trial period at some point in the future.

Would encourage you all to enjoy the Riverside Avondale Night Trolley this weekend. Ridership must continue to grow in order to support any future expansions.