Hop Aboard the Jackson County Trolley! Hourly Trips Through Dillsboro, Sylva and Webster

A ride for less than a dollar? Would you believe only 75 cents?

Hop aboard the red-and-brown "Jackson Trolley" operated by Jackson County Transit, and you'll be taken in comfort to the most important locations around Sylva, Webster and Dillsboro. The Trolley runs once every hour, starting at 7 a.m.

The fare is low (75 cents; exact change) in part because the program is geared towards people without regular means of transportation. But transit workers are encouraging everyone to ride the Trolley.

Here's how it works, starting at 7 a.m. every day except Saturday and Sunday: at the top of each hour (or as close to it as possible, depending on weather and traffic), the Trolley leaves River Park Apartments at 437 North River Road in Dillsboro. Then it stops at:

1. Jackson Village apartments on Savannah Drive in Sylva (3 minutes past the hour)

2. Nicol Arms apartments on Savannah Drive in Sylva (:06)

3. Pine Tree apartments on West Main Street in Sylva (:09)

4. Downtown Sylva, in front of In Your Ear Music (:13)

3. Community Service Building on Hospital Road between Asheville Highway and Skyland Drive in Sylva (:20)

4. Harris Regional Hospital (:22)

5. Kel-Save Drugs on State Road 107 just south of Sylva's main intersection (:27)

6. Wal-Mart on State Road 107 (:32)

7. The Haven at the Oaks apartment complex in Webster, behind the DSS building (:37)

8. Southwestern Community College in Webster (:43)

After leaving SCC, the Trolley returns to its starting point in Dillsboro.

Click here for a map of the Trolley's route, provided by Jackson Transit.

The Trolley driver can drop you off at some point between the scheduled stops, if you tell the driver when you board the bus.

The last run leaves Dillsboro at 5 p.m. and arrives back in Dillsboro by 6.

The Trolley service began about a year ago through a county-funded transit program already in place. According to Transit Director Chuck Norris, ridership is between 25 and 30 fares per day. The new paint scheme is designed to make the Trolley stand out and remind people of the service.

Frequent riders can lower the 75-cents fare by purchasing a $12 pass for 20 rides. A pass for unlimited rides during a month is available for $18.

The Trolley has a few passenger rules; children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Each trip requires the 75-cents fare or pass. Continuous riding (around the loop) is not allowed.

On holidays, the Trolley does not operate, such as Thanksgiving Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

For more information about the Trolley, call Jackson County Transit at 586-0233.

Jackson County Magazine says: Bravo to Jackson County Transit and to the riders of the Trolley. In these times of high gas prices and polluted air, it's the right thing to do for our community. And it's comfortable and convenient as well!