MO: Joplin trolley service to resume in early February

Representatives of One Joplin who have been working to get Sunshine Lamp Trolley service restored — and who attended a City Council meeting Monday to remind it of the need — received good news.

Trolley service will resume the first week of February, they learned.

Kathy Mason, co-chairman of a committee of One Joplin, a nonprofit organization, spoke to the council to note that low-cost trolley transportation service has been unavailable for two years. She said members of the committee had met with city officials "to better understand the trolley closure and how we could support reopening. For two years we have been told we are two drivers short but getting closer" to relaunching the program, Mason said.

"We recently were notified that all driver positions had been filled and they were completing the mandatory training necessary to begin operations," Mason said. She asked Monday when city officials expected to restart the service and provide enough budgetary support to operate the service.

The city has continued to offer the MAPS service, which requires advance appointments be made for its service.

"Although MAPS has filled some of the gaps left by the trolley, it does not meet all of the needs of the general public who need readily available and accessible transportation for things like buying groceries, seeking health care or going to work without planning the trip a week in advance," Mason said.

She thanked the council for hearing her remarks and asked for response to questions she had about restarting the service.

"Kathy, your questions are really good," Mayor Keenan Cortez replied. "We have some really good answers."

"Great," Mason said with a chuckle.

The mayor said: "You are correct. We are there. We are almost back on our feet."

An employee, Gina Thompson, was named in recent months as the transportation coordinator of the trolley service. She has filled and trained the ranks and prepared the system for a relaunch, the mayor said.

The system was a widely used by residents who did not have their own private transportation and relied on the trolley for going to medical appointments, buying groceries, picking up prescriptions and other tasks.

Cortez said that will change early next year. City officials have put together enough drivers and dispatchers and trained them to relaunch the service, the mayor said.

The mayor said there are 16 staff members now and that 17 is a full staff for the trolleys. He expects to see the trolley running again in early February.

"These citizens who have been negatively affected these last couple of years are going be able to see a restart. They are going to get to doctor appointments, they are going to get to the grocery store. They are going to get across town and take care of any other errands they have. It has taken time our community awhile to rebound from the reduced service, but I think we're going to come back better and bigger than we were before," Cortez said.

Another need, said members of the organization, is transportation for jobs.

Assistant City Manager Tony Robyn told the Globe on Tuesday, "We are putting the planning and operational needs in place like equipment and vehicle preparations, trolley stops, and signage and brochures, but we are comfortable with the time frame of the first week of February. As we approach it, we will have a better idea and communicate an exact date."

"One Joplin is grateful to the city for taking the community needs seriously and prioritizing reopening the trolley," responded Nicole Brown, director of One Joplin. "While MAPS and CARS have helped fill the gap, these programs do not replace readily available public transportation. The trolley helps the working poor access employment, buy groceries, seek health care and further their education. Often, these needs can't be planned for in advance, which MAPS and CARS require. Through our advocacy work, we heard from many families who were suffering due to the trolley closure. In addition to the working poor, we heard from seniors and individuals with disabilities who were impacted by the closure."

Robyn said the city's three trolley routes that were previously operated will remain the same and the trolley schedule will first be available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"We will evaluate a Saturday schedule once we regain more stability moving forward," Robyn said.

Fares will be $1 again, but there will likely be a need to propose to the council what Robyn said would be a small increase in transit fees.

"Fares have not been adjusted since 2007," when the trolley first started, Robyn said.

The service for MAPS will continue operating on the current schedule.

Brown said the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours will help people with jobs. "I think we are very supportive of prioritizing individuals trying to access work," she said.

"We're ecstatic to see it up and running again in any capacity," Brown added.

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