Syracuse University plans to unveil its new campus trolley service in spring 2020, a postponement of the transportation’s planned November debut.

Two of the trolleys have already arrived at Syracuse University, said Jenn Horvath, communications director for SU’s Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services, in an email. The other two are expected to arrive at the university within the next two weeks, she said. 

The university has already hired drivers to operate the trolleys and expects them to be deployed in the spring semester, Horvath said. 

SU first announced plans to implement a trolley service in September. The trolleys will provide the university with “significant savings” and give SU more flexibility in planning or adjusting routes to meet student needs, according to a September SU News release. 

The trolley system will replace the Birnie Bus service, whose contract with SU expired earlier this year. Four trolleys will pick up the existing Birnie Bus routes, including the Euclid Shuttle, the Warehouse Express, the Quad Shuttle and the Late Night Orange Express. 

SU may adjust the existing bus routes once the trolleys are deployed, Horvath said. The updated routes will be posted on the Parking and Transit Services website once they’re available, she said.

Each of the new trolleys will accommodate 16 to 22 passengers. The trolleys will have accessibility features, including ramps and low floors, Horvath said in a September statement to The Daily Orange. 

SU has not stated which company it purchased the trolleys from. The cost of the trolleys and the total amount of money the university will save from implementing the transportation are also unclear. New trolleys listed on the Trolley Brokers LLC website, which sells new and used trolleys, range from $150,000 to over $200,000.

Published on December 9, 2019 at 8:59 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu