The Joplin transit office relaunched the Sunshine Trolley transportation service almost three months ago. The reaction and daily passenger number have been smaller than during the previous operation in 2017. Drivers like Eddy Frossard said wintry weather and lack of outreach could be the cause of lower ridership. Frossard has been driving buses for 11 years. He loves his job, talking to riders and the funny anecdotes each day brings. The daily riders are like family to him.
"When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life," he said.
He drove the previous transportation service. During the busy summer months, he said he had 300 daily passengers. Now, only about 140 passengers ride the trolley daily.
"People still don't know we're here yet," he said.
Frossard also thinks many working adults in Joplin do not think about or do not want to ride the trolley. The decrease in riders could also be due to fear of unhealthy people and the stigma it brings.
The bus is about a fifteen- to twenty-passenger 'short' bus. It's vintage green and clearly marked with white letters saying 'Sunshine Trolley.' It also has a ramp for riders with disabilities.
Raymond Harmon has lived in Joplin all his life. He has been a consistent rider of the previous trolley and again this year after its relaunch. He is appreciative of the service.
"I think the Sunshine Trolley is one of the greatest things that has ever hit Joplin," he said.
The current Sunshine trolley has three fixed routes and a multiple-stop route. This is an improvement on the previous trolley, which only had two fixed routes.
Joplin's transportation coordinator, Gina Thompson, thinks people have found a way to get around without the trolley. She said her office has experienced a few pitfalls since relaunching the system.
One is the eight-year gap between the new and old trolley systems. Residents had to find a way to get around Joplin for those eight years—and now rely on what they know. There are also location limitations as to how far the buses can go. Despite the two extra routes, Thomspon said there are residents who have not been able to get somewhere on the outskirts of the city.
"There are so many places in the city that we don't go to, and we need to identify those needs, talk to our public, and, you know, make a fiscal plan for them," she adds.
Another looming factor is the recent cuts to Missouri's transit operating assistance. Newly elected Gov. Mike Kehoe announced a $5 million cut to the assistance, which directly benefits the trolley system. Thompson is unsure how this will affect the trolley system.
"I don't know what that impact will be for us, but Joplin's doing a good job of being financially responsible," she adds.
Thompson is working with the city to replace the Plexiglas windows on the bus stop shelter with metal mesh. The materials have deteriorated over time and need replacing.
Despite the unforeseen complications with the new transportation service, Thomspon is excited about the program's future.
