Today, the return of Wichita’s downtown trolley loop took off with a trolley full of VIPs making the first official route. Due to the success of last summer's trial run of this program, officials announced the addition of a third trolley to the Q-line family. This means a greater area can be covered and offer more frequent pick-ups on most routes.
"The Q" now has trolleys running Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM. As part of the improvement to the service, the addition of the Delano District was made because of the support Wichita Transit received in post-surveys from Q passengers last year. This route, known as the Delano/Old Town Blue Q line (marked by the blue display sign in the trolley) runs back and forth from the two points on Douglas. The addition of Delano to the route was so well-received, that the Delano Dollies were on hand to ride the first trolley. This trolley stops every 20 minutes at every intersection, which is marked by the unmistakable "Q" stencil on the street and sidewalk.
The traditional route, that takes a larger loop around the downtown, continues with two trolleys dedicated to the service. This is called the Downtown Green Q-line and picks up every 10 minutes. This is a better pick up time than last year, which picked up every 15 minutes. Like the addition of the Delano District, less wait time was the other point brought up most in post-surveys from passengers. One thing that was kept from last year is the same cost: only quarter! This is especially welcome to those people realizing the increase of gas prices.
"This is a fantastic partnership with unique cooperation between the City of Wichita and Wichita Downtown Development Corporation (WDDC) to make downtown more accessible for lunchtime and meetings not only for our citizens but also our visitors," said Council Member Sharon Fearey at the kick off event.
"The Q-Line" is the official name of this program but an abbreviated "The Q" will be more dominate. If someone is wondering what The Qs are on the streets downtown, this is the answer. The Qs mark the spots of trolley stops. However, anyone can grab the Q by simply waving down the driver of the trolley. Riders pay only a Quarter and can reach 50 different locations downtown for lunch. The Q provides Quick transportation to help downtown workers so they can Quit wasting gas and money while letting the City’s Quality Transit employees do the driving.
The City of Wichita’s Transit Services department has developed the program and the route to utilize the trolley more and assist downtown businesses and their employees. The Trolley Division is self-sustaining, gaining its revenue from charter fees and advertising. Presently, trolley services include: charters, holiday light tours, event shuttles and the Discover Historic Wichita tours. On Saturdays, a special Museum Loop Orange Q-Line shuttle will run from 10 AM to 4 PM to connect the downtown hotels, museums and attractions for citizens and visitors every 30 minutes. For more information visit http://www.theqline.com.
Cooperative marketing graphics were designed by Brian Cartwright of Entermotion Design Studio.
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