Holly Trolley Christmas Light Tour

It'll be a trolley jolly Christmas around the offices of the Franklin Transit Authority this year, with Holly Trolley tours running again, with a notable new addition to the fleet, and with Transportation Manager Sue Connor recently being named a Tennessee Employee of the Year.

The fifth annual Holly Trolley Christmas Light Tour spotlights the splendid holiday light displays at homes throughout Franklin and Brentwood. Tours originate at the Transit Center in downtown Franklin. Riders are treated to holiday refreshments thirty minutes prior to departure on a vintage-style Franklin Trolley. Tickets, on sale for $15 per person at the Transit Center (708 Columbia Avenue), are going like hotcakes; remaining tour dates are December 28, 29 and 30. The event has been a sellout all four years it has run, and the Franklin Transit Authority (FTA) added more times and dates to this year’s schedule. Reservations are required. For more information, visit franklintrolleys.org or call the FTA at (615) 628-0267.

November 19 marked the national debut in Franklin of the sleek, superb, one-of-a-kind and environmentally friendly Gillig hybrid electric low-floor bus. The vehicle, with features designed by Cable Car Classics to create the appearance of an old-fashioned trolley, was partially funded through a Special Projects grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, which applied for and administered the grant.

Other partners on the Gillig project included the Tennessee Dept. of Transportation, the City of Franklin, the FTA and Clean Cities of Middle Tennessee. There were just two such grants awarded nationally, and having Franklin claim one was recognition and ratification of the city's "visionary use of bio-diesel fuels in public transportation," says Debbie Henry, Interim Director of The TMA Group/FTA. (The TMA Group manages and operates the FTA for the City of Franklin.)

The Gillig features full ADA accessibility, heavy-duty reliability, standard transit components, fleet standardization, stainless-steel chassis, side-impact crash barrier design, solid-oak seating and interior trim, a classic trolley roof and cupola, and padded seat cushions and climate control for passenger comfort. The dynamics of the vehicle, which uses mainly electricity at lower speeds and mostly fuel at highway speeds, provide a tremendous savings in fuel and maintenance, and is ideal in the stop-and-go traffic of Franklin and Cool Springs.

“This vehicle is a perfect illustration of the importance of federal, state and local transportation entities working together to provide environmentally sound and affordable transportation options for Middle Tennessee,” Henry said. “And the old-fashioned trolley replica fits in with the strong historical heritage of Franklin.”

The TMA Group's Sue Connor was named Employee of the Year at the annual Tennessee Public Transportation Association conference held in Memphis November 27. She was lauded for her commitment to excellence, for her leadership and employee-interaction skills, and (appropriate for a transportation manager) for going the extra mile. Connor began with the TMA Group in May 2003. She is dedicated to preserving and protecting two beleaguered American icons: customer service, and a reliable public transportation service.