Agreement allows Park Forest to lease vehicles at no cost to Village
Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– The Park Forest Village Board will be reviewing an Paratransit Service Provider Agreement with PACE when it meets for its Regular Meeting on December 14. The agreement allows the Village to lease vehicles from PACE at no cost and then to use those vehicles for its Jolly Trolley dial-a-ride service.
At one time, the Village operated the Jolly Trolley service on its own, but reduced ridership and other fiscal complications made it impossible to continue on that course. As a result, the Village entered into a cooperative agreement with Rich Township whereby the township transportation service operates the Jolly Trolley for the benefit of Park Forest residents only. In turn, the Village provides the buses it obtains from PACE to the township as the vehicles to be used for the Jolly Trolley service.
"So even though we no longer operate the buses themselves, the Village of Park Forest is the service provider for the Jolly Trolley," explained Mayor John A. Ostenburg. "That’s why we enter into the agreement with PACE and then turn over the equipment we obtain to Rich Township for the actually delivery of the service."
PACE subsidizes the Village approximately $60,000 of the total $117,108 annual budget for the operation of the Jolly Trolley. Rider fares contribute approximately $22,750 of the operational cost and the Village of Park Forest pays the remaining $34,358 from its general funds.
The Jolly Trolley picks up Park Forest residents at their homes or other locations within the Village and then delivers them to any other location in the Village where they seek to go. Riders must allow approximately 30 minutes from the time they call until the Trolley arrives. The service also allows for transportation to selected locations outside of the Village. The Jolly Trolley operates from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays but not on the holidays of New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Fares are $3 for adults and $1.50 for persons 65 years of age or older, for the disabled, and for students. Children under the age of 7 do not pay a fare to ride.
