StarTran’s new Downtown Trolley made its debut at the Winter Lights celebration on December 7 with the presence of Mayor Chris Beutler. The vintage-style trolley is fueled by CNG, which cuts tail pipe emissions by 20% compared to existing diesel buses. StarTran is a Lincoln city-owned bus system that provides urban transportation.
Full service, featuring two trolleys, is scheduled to begin operations in mid-December, and rides will be free through February 2019. After February, the fare will be 25 cents. The 13-stop route has access to the State Capitol, downtown, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Lied Center, the Haymarket, the Railyard and Pinnacle Bank Arena. Service will be offered weekdays between 6:15 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.
The trolleys were purchased as part of the ongoing effort to replace 17-year-old buses that are losing fuel efficiency and have high maintenance costs. Each trolley costs about $437,000. The city received about $217,000 per trolley from the Federal Transit Administration’s Ladders of Opportunity Initiative that promotes job and economic growth through investments in public transit.
Moreover, Black Hills Energy Corp. provided $14,000 per vehicle to promote the use of domestic, efficient and clean CNG in public transit services in Lincoln. The Downtown Lincoln Association and the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau are assisting with promotional costs.
Source: City of Lincoln
