Hilary Butschek | The Marietta Daily Journal
Mayor Steve Tumlin has big plans for 2015, including a city trolley, a Cobb Galleria-like development off Franklin Road and a new tourism center on the Square.
Tumlin plans to propose a trolley on wheels that will circle the museums and shops in Marietta at the City Council agenda work session meeting tonight.
The mayor’s proposal includes between two and four trollies running on wheels set to make stops at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, the Aviation Wing of the Marietta Museum of History, and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw.
“The Marietta Kiwanis Club and Micky Blackwell did a big study on this about 8 years ago, and it failed for lack of money. But, it was well-received,” Tumlin said.
Starting up the trolley system could cost about $75,000 to $120,000, Tumlin said. He suggested funding could come from the city’s hotel/motel tax and the Downtown Marietta Development Authority.
Tumlin said the DMDA previously purchased the pedicabs used by Marietta residents Brian and Cassandra Buckalew, who run the tourism businesses Marietta Pedicabs, Marietta Trolley Company and Marietta Ghost Tours in town.
Tumlin said as long as the trolley system is used for tourism purposes in Marietta, the DMDA and hotel/motel tax can help with funding.
“If we can brand it as a tourism product, we could go a lot further,” Tumlin said.
Additionally, the trolley could shuttle Marietta residents to SunTrust Park when it opens in 2017, Tumlin said.
To do this, Tumlin suggested using the 8.7 acres the Marietta Redevelopment Corporation owns on West Dixie and Hedges streets as a parking lot where trolley riders could leave their cars and take a trip to shop on the Square, visit a museum, or on nights when the Braves play at home, watch a ballgame at SunTrust Park. Read more
TOD News 
Leave a Reply