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Sundin urges TBTA to find better solution for trolley fleet

ALPENA — The Thunder Bay Transportation Authority discussed what could be done to better utilize the agency’s electric/diesel trolley fleet during a Thursday meeting.

Chairman Greg Sundin, who is also the Alpena city manager, told the TBTA board that during a state of the city address Monday he said publicly that changes and improvements would be worked on with the trolleys.

The trolleys, which were obtained through a state grant, each cost more than $600,000 each. There are four trolleys and over the time they have been in operation in the city — less than a year — the buses have been plagued with breakdowns and are costing TBTA money.

They were cited by an auditor as a reason for the decease in TBTA’s total net position because of the increased repairs.

Sundin said he put a little pressure on TBTA during his address and he told the public TBTA would work harder to make the trolleys a success.

“What I said was going to be done and that the board would be doing, was really looking at the schedule, promotions, advertising and getting the word out and what these routes would be, and also working with groups and events and others where we can provide the service while still meeting the requirements of the state law,” Sundin said.

He said the big push for the service was getting back to a full schedule of trolleys in the city, which go on a continuous loop around the city and township, back by Memorial Day.

One ongoing suggestion to help make the trolley service profitable is to use it for different events like festivals or weddings. But according to laws by the Michigan Department of Transportation, Sundin said, the trolleys always have to be accessible to the general public and not exclusive to a single event.

Board member Tony Suszek asked to see written documentation of this as well as penalties if this is not followed.

TBTA Executive Director Theron Higgins said MDOT officials have threatened to pull funding to TBTA. He said officials threatened when it was discovered the trolley service was not on a winter schedule.

“They did send me an email about it,” he said. “That would have been 18.5 percent of our budget.”

Suszek said something had to be done about the service as it was bleeding money for TBTA.

“If we’re losing money with labor, and let’s say the trolley (service) doesn’t go up, can we just give them back to someone?” he said. “My concern would be long term. We can’t take a hit.”

Higgins said that could be an option for the service.

“We are allowed to sell,” he said. “We can sell any bus at any time, we just have to give part of the profit back to MDOT.”

Suszek turned to working with organizations that may be able to use the trolleys for special events.

Sundin thought it was a good idea and directed the trolley committee, which is scheduled to meet in early March, to look into it.

“There are things that you can do but it has to be within certain limits,” Sundin said. “We shouldn’t say no to everyone. We should listen to them and we should go on a case to case basis to see what is feasible.”

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.

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