The City of Wichita will unveil its new, expanded Q-Line service on Saturday.
The free trolley will have longer hours and new routes that will connect downtown Wichita with the Delano and College Hill neighborhoods.
“We’re hoping that what will happen is that synergy of providing access to the neighborhoods will not only provide benefits to the neighborhoods and downtown, but help us attract new transit riders," Wichita Transit Director Steve Spade said Thursday.
Vice Mayor Janet Miller said the expanded service will be funded through a partnership between the City, the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and other private businesses. The city and the WDDC signed a contract earlier this year under which the city will cover $400,000 of the annual $500,000 annual operating cost, with private businesses contributing $120,000.
“The City of Wichita would not be able to do this on its own," Miller said. "As you know, transit is a budget that’s extraordinarily strapped.”
Related: Waiting For The Bus: The Future Of Wichita's Transit System
The trolleys will operate from 5 until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 1 a.m. on Fridays, and from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturdays, with service every 10 minutes. The Q is also adding two lunch routes on weekdays.
The City of Wichita posted a video previewing one of the new Q-Line routes:
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