For years, trolley hops have taken place in NuLu and downtown along Market and Main streets, as well as along Frankfort Avenue and now in SoFo along South Fourth Street. All these hops, however, are concentrated in downtown and the East End, leaving hoppers to explore the rest of the city by car, bus or on foot.
Until this Saturday, that is.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., riders can board trolleys at Churchill Downs as the 2013 New Cut Road Trolley Hop season begins, with service to now include Southern Parkway and the Jefferson Memorial Forest. Major stops between the two points will include Iroquois Park, The Little Loomhouse, the Iroquois & Fairdale Library, as well as several restaurants and shops along the way. The price of admission, as with all of the other trolleys, is free, and as another incentive to board, the first 150 riders will receive two-for-one coupons for admission into the Kentucky Derby Museum at the historic race track.
Funding for the trolley and its expansion for the 2013 season comes from a Metro Council Neighborhood Development Fund grant, and is sponsored by Louisville Metro Councilwoman Vicki Welch with council members Dan Johnson, Rick Blackwell, Cindi Fowler, Marianne Butler, David Yates and David James providing additional support. The new service, as well as the original service that occurred last fall and this spring, was spearheaded by South Louisville Community Ministries board member Ray Whitener with backing from the Metro Council.
Riders can board at either end of the route, as well as anywhere along the route at posted bus stops. The New Cut/Southern Parkway Trolley Hop will run monthly, with the next hop to occur August 17, followed by two more on September 21 and October 19. More information can be found on the hop’s Facebook page, or through Councilwoman Welch’s office at 502-574-1113.
Photos: Facebook/New Cut/Southern Parkway Trolley Hop.
