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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do the trolleys run around when they are empty?

We never know when there is going to be someone waiting at a trolley stop. An integral part of our planning is
the study of historical travel data but that doesn't adequately reflect Eureka's nature as a tourist destination. Ours
is not a commuter community--we cannot plan on masses of travelers being at stops from 8 am to 10 am, and
then again from 4 pm to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. However, we are able to predict fairly accurately that
we will be busier on Fridays and Saturdays, and during the summer months more than the winter. And it's those
type of factors that are heavily relied upon in scheduling.

2. Your drivers seem friendly but they won't tell us what we are looking at.

There are two major considerations we use in selecting our drivers: The first is his/her mastery of the
technical skills needed to operate a 27,000 pound commercial vehicle through the narrow and winding
streets of Eureka Springs while transporting hundreds of visitors to town; and the second is his/her ability
to interact with those passengers in a way that makes them feel welcome while also looking after their
safety.

Our trolley, minibus and tram drivers are all required to have a Commercial Driver's License. They are
required to pass a written exam as well as a skills test.

In the handbook for the written exam, there is a section devoted entirely to transporting passengers.
Section 4.5, Prohibited Practices, states in part:

"Don't talk with riders, or engage in any other distracting activity, while driving".

So while our drivers try to be as friendly and as helpful as they can, there are limits as to what they are
permitted to do.

Another factor that comes into play has to do with competing with private enterprise. There are tour
companies in town whose owners make a living giving narrated tours. If our drivers were to engage in
that activity they would be engaging in improper competition.

3. Why do we have to pay for parking at city-owned lots like the Transit Center & the Planer Hill Park
& Ride Lot?

The short answer is that we need that revenue to help pay for running the transit system. We have a large
operation here - both what you can see and the behind-the-scenes activities. There is the maintenance of the rest
rooms at the Downtown Depot and the Transit Center, the compensation for the people who drive the trolleys
and for those who maintain them, the pay to the folks who take care of the grounds and keep the rest rooms
clean and stocked, along with others.

Public transit agencies across the nation depend on a variety of funding sources to help keep the buses running.
Fare revenue covers only a part - and a small part at that. Some 30 years ago the federal government made a
policy decision to support public transportation because it had significant benefits to society as a whole: reducing
emissions, cutting down on the dependency on fossil fuels, enabling lower-income citizens access to
transportation for employment, shopping and medical purposes.

Eureka Springs Transit is classified as a rural transit provider because of our population. As such, we are entitled
to financial assistance from the federal government; and those funds are administered by the State's Highway
Department. Only a part of our operating expenses is covered, however. The rest we have to come up with
locally. One way we do that is to charge a parking fee. We could eliminate that, of course, but that would not
eliminate the need for that revenue stream - we'd just to have to find it elsewhere, such as an additional service
fee to use the transit system.

Parking at our lot is an option. In the last couple of years we have expanded our Trolley Map and related guides
to help you find alternative parking around town - some of it free, some of it pay-to-use. And always, we
encourage those who are staying in town to leave their vehicle at their lodging facility. We have more than 100
stops in town - no lodging facility is more than a short walk from a trolley stop.

In 2010, we have some of the least-expensive all-day paid parking in town. At either the Transit Center
on Highway 62W or the Planer Hill Park & Ride Lot at the intersection of Highways 62W & 23N, all-day
parking will cost just $3.00.

Eureka Springs Transit System
137 W. Van Buren (Highway 62W)
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
(479) 253-9572