Cape looks for federal funds to purchase trolley

The Cape Girardeau City Council in January approved a tourism bureau spending plan that includes purchase of a trolley bus. But like the trolley at Fort Scott, a federal grant would be needed to pay most of the cost.

"We feel a trolley would send a very clear message that Cape Girardeau is a tourist-friendly community," tourism bureau director Chuck Martin said.

But he said it's unclear if the city can secure the needed federal funding to buy a trolley and have it up and running by the end of the year.

Tourists also would pay to ride Cape Girardeau's trolley, but no fee has been determined yet.

Federal grant money only can be used to buy the vehicle. "We have to have some operating funding," said Jeff Brune, executive director of the Cape County Transit Authority which is working with the CVB to set up trolley rides.

Charging a fee to riders will help pay the operating costs of the trolley, he said.

Unlike Fort Scott's trolley, the goal of the Cape Girardeau trolley would be to transport visitors to and from local attractions, and not provide just a sit-down, ride-around tour, said Brune.

Cape Girardeau tourism bureau officials have suggested spending $140,000 to purchase a trolley. A federal grant would be sought to pay 80 percent of the cost. Surplus motel and restaurant tax money would fund the other 20 percent or $28,000.

The tourism bureau plans to work with the Cape County Transit Authority, which would seek the federal funding and operate the trolley.

The $140,000 cost estimate was provided by the Missouri Department of Transportation, which administers federal transit grants in the state, said Brune of the transit authority.

Brune said that figure assumes the purchase of a used vehicle.

"You can get some great vehicles that are used, especially from the casinos. They just go through them like crazy and they don't put that many miles on them," he said.

"A lot of communities are going to these vehicles," Brune said.

He said he and tourism bureau officials still are working out the details on acquiring a trolley, with hopes to submit the federal grant application by this summer.