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Free lunchtime shuttle to start Oct. 3 in downtown Peoria

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Several downtown Peoria organizations have joined up to sponsor a weekday shuttle service that will take in downtown restaurants, starting Oct. 3.

The service, which is free and will include two bus lines, will operate from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday as a means of getting downtown employees to and from downtown restaurants during their lunch break.

The service will start with a six-week pilot program to decide if the service is viable.

Called the Hop-On Hop-Off shuttle service, it will aim, with the two routes, to provide optimal timing so employees can enjoy lunch and get back to work on time. The Red Line will be shorter with fewer stops while the blue line will take in more of the downtown area.

A map of the routes can be found at www.visitdowntownpeoria.com/hop-on.

Sponsoring organizations are the Downtown Development Corp., City of Peoria, Peoria RiverFront Association, Peoria Civic Center, and Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

By providing clean, comfortable and convenient transportation, the groups hope to increase lunch traffic to downtown restaurants.

“The mission of the DDC is to promote the development of Peoria’s downtown. Providing a free, convenient, reliable shuttle will enhance both residential and business development in the downtown,” said Michael Freilinger, president and CEO of the Downtown Development Corp. “We are grateful to our partners and for the grant funding we received from the Tourism Reserve Fund to cover the cost of this six week pilot project. We anticipate that the success of this pilot project will enable us to secure funding for all day full time operation of this shuttle in the near future.”

Cara Allen, director of marketing for the Peoria Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Director of Marketing, added, “The Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is looking forward to seeing an increased level of traffic to our Downtown businesses through this program.”

RiverFront restauranteur Pat Sullivan, owner of Kelleher’s, encourages everyone to give it a try. “This would be a great opportunity for all workers and visitors in downtown and the warehouse district to shop local, whether its food, drinks, shoes, banking, or trips to City Hall or the county Court House. This is an easy Hop-on and Hop-off ride, so please enjoy.”

The pilot program will run Oct. 3 through Nov. 11. Ridership will be monitored throughout the trial period to determine the viability of a longer term program.

A ribbon cutting to kick off the service is planned for Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall.

About the Author
Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).