The Ocala City Council approved measures on Wednesday evening that clear the way for a new trolley that will soon begin operating in and around downtown Ocala.
On Wednesday, two resolutions and an amendment associated with the new Downtown Circulator Trolley were approved by the council by a vote of 4 to 0. Councilman Jim Hilty was not present for the vote.
With the approval, the city will now appropriate $114,572 received through the Public Transit Service Development Grant Program towards the project, while also providing $114,572 in matching funds.
During prior discussions on the topic, the city stated that the route will incorporate several stops around the area. A map of the proposed route was shared during Wednesday’s meeting.
According to the grant application submitted to FDOT, the city’s proposed route would include stops at the following locations:
- Downtown Square
- Tourist Development Council
- Marion County Courthouse
- Post Office
- Advent Health Ocala Hospital
- Ocala Regional Medical Center
- Downtown Market & Chamber & Economic Partnership
- City Hall/Citizen’s Circle
- Tuscawilla Park
- Reilly Arts Center
- Downtown Transfer Station
In addition to funding, the city also approved an amendment to its agreement with RATP Dev USA, Inc., the company that manages SunTran services throughout the city, on Wednesday night. The amendment increases RATP Dev’s estimated annual revenue vehicle hours in order to fund its management of the new trolley.
The city has enough funds and operating hours to test the trolley for a three-year pilot program, according to Tom Duncan, the city’s Transit Administrator. Accordingly, funds for the new trolley will be available through June 30, 2028.
The management of the route is estimated to require an additional 100 “revenue hours,” which equates to $8,261 for the remainder of this contract year.
The two contract years after that, RATP Dev estimates 1,700 in additional revenue hours, amounting to around $150,000 more each year to manage the trolleys. The city estimates that the total increase in revenue vehicle hours to RATP Dev will be around $312,289
A city staff report states that the Downtown Circulator Trolley has an “estimated start date in September 2025.”
The start comes just under 18 months after officials agreed to submit a request for the trolley grant in May 2024.
Six months later, in November 2024, the council approved the purchase of a federally-funded electric trolley bus.
The Public Transit Service Development Grant Program provides initial funding for transit agencies to test new and innovative services, technologies, and routes to improve public transportation. The program helps assess the viability of new transit methods before recipients commit to continuing successful projects without further state funding.
Will you use the new Downtown Circulator Trolley in Ocala? Share your thoughts in a comment below or, if you have more to say on the topic, submit a letter to the editor.