When and where to catch a Holly Jolly Trolley ride in Gainesville

Rachel Estes, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·2 min read

Dec. 8—Christmas cheer has hitched a ride to some of Gainesville's most festive neighborhoods.

Throughout the month of December, the City of Gainesville's Hall Area Transit is giving residents and visitors the gift of the recently debuted Holly Jolly Trolley.

The 6.5-mile loop runs from the downtown square, up Green Street to the Gainesville Civic Center, through some of the city's most decorated neighborhoods and on to Gainesville Parks and Recreation's Wilshire Wonderland of Lights at Wilshire Trails before returning to downtown.

The free service runs 5:30-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Dec. 31.

As more of an experience versus a shuttle between points A and B, passengers should allot 30-40 minutes for their ride, according to the city.

The trolleys are slated to pass pickup and drop off points every 20-25 minutes.

Passengers can park and ride at the Main Street Parking Deck, with boarding at Renaissance Park on the corner of Spring and Bradford streets; at the North Parking Deck across from the Hall County Library, with boarding outside the deck's Bradford Street entrance; and at the Gainesville Civic Center, with boarding at Candler Street Park.

To appeal to nearby residents, ride-only pickup and drop off sites are accessible along the route. Pedestrians can board the trolleys at the Wilshire Trails, the intersection of Green Street Circle and Longview Avenue and the intersection of Bradford Street NW and Dixon Drive.

Holly Jolly Trolley

When: 5:30-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Dec. 31

Park and ride locations:

* Main Street Parking Deck, 301 Main St., Gainesville;

* North Parking Deck, 100 Brenau Ave. NW, Gainesville;

* Gainesville Civic Center, 830 Green St.

Ride-only locations (no parking):

* Wilshire Trails, 849 Wilshire Road, Gainesville;

* Intersection of Green Street Circle and Longview Avenue;

* Intersection of Bradford Street NW and Dixon Drive

How much: Free

More info: gainesville.org/755/Holly-Jolly-Trolley or 770-503-3333, ext. 2

Public parking is not available at ride-only locations.

Pickup and drop off locations can also be spotted by green yard signs announcing "Holly Jolly Trolley Stop Here."

Passengers can track the trolleys in real time using GPS tracking and smart geofencing by Samsara, accessible at gainesville.org/755/Holly-Jolly-Trolley.

The trolleys can transport up to 24 passengers at once, are wheelchair accessible and heated to keep cheeks nice and rosy and comfy cozy.

Pets are not permitted to ride the Holly Jolly Trolley, only service animals, the city said.

For more information on the Holly Jolly Trolley, visit gainesville.org/755/Holly-Jolly-Trolley.