UK Students Making Good Use of New COLT Trolley

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 8, 2010) − As the University of Kentucky's fall semester gets under way, an increasing number of UK students are using LexTran's new COLT Trolleys to explore downtown Lexington. Whether students ride the COLT downtown to grab a quick bite between classes or use the trolley system to celebrate weekend evenings, the COLT provides a safe and easy ride.

LexTran revealed the COLT Trolley April 2, 2010, for downtown operation only. Unlike LexTran buses, the trolleys are free to ride and two of the four trolleys are hybrid-electric.

"It takes you all around downtown Lexington for free and the drivers are really nice," said UK senior Abby Sweet. "I use the trolley all the time and haven't taken a cab since."

There are always two trolleys on each route during the route schedule. The COLT Trolley has two routes. The Blue Route goes east to west, all along Main Street, from Woodland Ave. and East Main Street to Jefferson Street and West Main Street. (The Blue Route was recently extended to Woodland Ave.) The Green Route goes north to south. It takes patrons from the University of Kentucky to Transylvania University. (The Green Route was recently extended to Fourth Street near Transylvania's campus.) These two route changes were made due to safety and traffic patterns.

The COLT runs every 10 minutes, and signs posted at each stop explain the two different routes.

Even though LexTran did not anticipate it, the COLT Trolley was extremely successful over the summer. Director of Community Affairs Jill Barnett said, "I expected that ridership might slow down over the summer, but it was just the opposite. The number of people riding the trolley has grown steadily. With school back in session and more students learning about the COLT Trolley every day, I think we’ll continue to see our numbers grow."

UK's campus is important to the COLT because it allows students to take advantage of a free transportation system. By traveling on the COLT students not only get a safe ride downtown and back, but they also get to explore downtown Lexington and see all that it has to offer. "I love the COLT. Its free and convenient, and I know I'll have a safe ride back to campus at the end of the night," said UK senior Megan Murphy.

Many students already have taken advantage of the COLT. Although they do not have an exact number, feedback from the drivers indicates that Friday night is the most popular night for students. According to the drivers, three popular stops for students seem to be Atomic Café (Green Route), Bar Lexington (Blue Route), and Cheapside Pavilion (Blue Route).

"I had a great experience on the COLT. The drivers were very friendly and welcoming," said senior Erin Centolanza. 

The COLT schedule will remain the same as it was over the summer. The Blue Route runs from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday and 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. The Green Route runs from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 p.m.-3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.

For more information regarding the COLT Trolley, visit the website at www.colttrolley.com.