Trolley service begins tonight

[RustTown]

Now, it's not like it sounds, it's just a few rubber-wheeled trollies, but I'm just glad this came to fruition. I'm also glad we actually have two points worth connecting. Even if it doesn't turn out to be successful, it shows the new mayors of both cities are really working to make this the area its most certaintly capable of being:

Trolley service begins tonight

Shuttle will run year-round Thursdays through Saturdays

October 26, 2006

By Tom Lambert

Lansing State Journal

A new trolley service will shuttle people between Lansing and East Lansing starting at 7:30 tonight - with hopes it will make downtown Lansing a hot destination after 5 p.m. and on weekends.

"The Entertainment Express" will run year-round every 30 minutes from 7:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A...60354/1001/news

Route: Entertainment Express

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Lansing City Pulse Story:

Connecting the dots

Written by THOMAS P. MORGAN

Wednesday, 25 October 2006

It rolled down Washington Square on Friday, its dissonant bell clanging over the loud rumble of its engine. Pedestrians waiting to cross the street looked up in curiosity at the small, old-timey bus as it made its way through downtown Lansing with two smiling mayors on board.

http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/index.php?...4&Itemid=29

[fisher191]

Real or no, I'm very excited that this has come to fruitition. I think it is one of the single best things that the city and council could do to help small business, and make our downtowns viable.

I personally will try to ride this, as I almost never go to East Lansing nightlife, I don't want to deal with the East Lansing Poh Poh, or pay to park. It's just to bad this wasn't started earlier, to maybe have helped the Temple Club.

Now pub crawl and bar hopping can be a lot more fun and safe.

I just hope everyone embraces it and uses it. As a small business owner, I so often hear people talk of how wonderful some events and attractions are, but then don't frequent the establishments. They later then wonder why they close. Prime example is Eastwood Town Center restaurants, they flourish and are some of the top locations in their respective franchises, while wonderful independent shops are the same price, better quality, but struggle.

Personally, that is my biggest gripe with our area, we all want big city things to do, but so many won't support them, when they are here. Anyone remember the Cigar bar in Okemos a few years back? The list of truly tragic loses this area has endured, Blue Coyote, Temple, Evergreen Grill, the Fifth Element, yet the wait for Claddagh is crazy....

Hopefully this will be the start of a fantastic catalyst for downtowns, that leads to a very prosperous transformation...

[egostatistical]

Thanks for running our picture above the LSJ's story. Grrr....

[RustTown]

I removed it. Perhaps I'm not as versed in posting etiquette as I thought. Sorry about that.

[egostatistical]

I removed it. Perhaps I'm not as versed in posting etiquette as I thought. Sorry about that.

[tamias6]

I think it would be cool if Grand Rapids replaced its fleet of DASH shuttle buses with trollies like these when the current buses reaches the end of their service lives. GR used to have trollies way back in the Day.

[dtown]

Hopefully someday this route can be replaced by a real trolly!

[fisher191]

Cata has posted 'Entertainment Express' signs at the stops and posted a schedule at the stops. However, the trolley wasn't running anywhere even close to the posted times last night. I had a group of 8 that I convinced to ride it, but after waiting and waiting, they all decided to drive. If they work out the kinks, its easy to convince people to use it, but in the winter, it has to run on time, no one wants to freeze their ass off waiting for it, while its 10 minutes behind schedule.

Also, its not actually stopping at every stop, unless she sees people.

[Michi]

I agree that if anything else, it's the connectivity that matters most.

The trolly idea was even written about in the New York Times not too long ago.

[quaker21]

Hopefully someday this route can be replaced by a real trolly!