APRIL FOOLS EDITION: Campus debuts new trolley service around quad

Starting today, a trolley service around the quad will be available to students, faculty and staff. The new trolley will travel between the Penland building, Student Activities Center, Business and Education Building, Etherredge Center, Humanities and Social Science Building, and library. Because of the campus layout, the Science Building and dormitories are not serviceable by the new trolley service.

Students can use the trolley from 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., 2:07 p.m. to 2:31 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. to 5:17 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays only. The cost of a ride will be $0.25 a building. For example, a ride from the Penland Building to the Etherredge Center would cost a student $0.75. If the trolley service is profitable, rides will be offered at least twice a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dr. Daniel Heimmermann said, “Our new trolley system, while limited at this time, is a huge investment into our student body. Time and time again students have asked for help getting from one end of the quad to the other. Now they will have that service. Our hopes are that, at some point, the trolley service can be offered to the Science Building, too.”

The cost of this project was greatly offset by the generous donation of tracks and trolleys from the Mr. Rogers Neighborhood studio. Reached by séance, Mr. Rogers said, “I am glad that our tracks and trolley are going to good use. I have always worried about them collecting dust in some abandoned warehouse. This way students can be given the option to save their poor backs from carrying heavy backpacks around campus all the time.”

The first trolley ride will be at 8:15 a.m. this morning with Vice-Chancellor Ahmed Samaha driving for its inaugural trip around the quad.