RAPID CITY - People may have noticed a new member of the community Friday as one of the city's two new trolleys went on a practice run to iron out any kinks with its automated narration system.

"It really looks nice. It's going to be a great addition to the city," said Rich Sagen, Rapid Transit manager.

Officially, trolley service won't begin operation until July 2. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 29, at Memorial Park near the Berlin Wall monument.

The green-on-red "City View" trolleys are air-conditioned, seat 30 and include a wheelchair lift and space for two wheelchairs. Two removable panels on the sides create an open air ride. Brass rail inserts keep people from jumping out.

Sagen said the city plans to leave the panels off during the summer. The trolleys have a curtain that can be rolled down and sealed when it rains.

A day route and an evening route have been prepared. The day route will operate between 9:20 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. on an hourlong loop with stops at points of interest such as downtown, the Journey Museum, Stavkirke Chapel, Storybook Island, Dinosaur Park, Canyon Lake Park and the Cleghorn Springs fish hatchery.

"Toward the end of the tour is Dinosaur Park, so you get a panoramic view of east and west," Sagen said.

The evening route will operate between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. focused on the core downtown area in a loop of Main Street, Fifth Street, North Street and West Boulevard, connecting residents and visitors to businesses in downtown Rapid City where they can shop and dine.

A $1-per-person fare is proposed, though the fee allows riders to use the trolley all day.

"The thing that's nice about it, let's say you're here with your family. You get on the trolley and go on the tour, get to Storybook Island and decide to stay there for awhile," Sagen said. "They can stay for as long as they want and then just present their tickets to take them back to their destination. It's $1 per day: unlimited boardings and reboardings."

That means a family of five could spend $5 and ride the trolley all day to various points in the city.

On on the daytime loop, riders will hear a prerecorded narrative about various stops - triggered by global positioning satellite.

Each stop will be clearly marked. The Rapid City Convention and Visitors Bureau has prepared a brochure about the trolley including a map and stop schedule.

Alderwoman Deb Hadcock, who helped organize the fundraising effort for the trolleys, is happy they are finally here.

"The City View Trolley will enable guests to ride, dine, tour and shop in Rapid City," Hadcock said. "The purpose … is to add personality to the community. We want to promote the businesses and destinations in our beautiful city."

The city ordered two trolleys from Nevada-based Specialty Vehicles, Inc. at a total cost of $234,296. The first one arrived this week, and the second is expected the middle of next week. The city will operate one trolley on any given day, though both might operate at the same time during special events.

City officials hoped the trolleys would be running by Memorial Day weekend, but Sagen said earlier this year that delivery would depend on how quickly it could get chassis from Ford Motor Co.

"We always knew it would be dependent on when the vehicles shipped," Sagen said Friday. "Everybody kind of knew the date was a moving target."

A combination of federal funds, private donations and the sale of advertising space paid for the trolleys' capital cost. Federal funds available through the Federal Transit Administration will reimburse the city for 83 percent of the capital cost, and an anonymous donor agreed to pay the 17 percent local match, an amount about $40,000.

Annual operation and maintenance costs, estimated at $50,000 per year, will be split equally between federal funds, private donations and selling advertising space on the trolleys for three-year terms. No local tax dollars are involved.

Hadcock said the local matching share was all provided by local businesses through sponsorships, and local sponsors signed contracts to pay for the next three years of operational costs.

"The support from our sponsors made the City View Trolley possible," Hadcock said.

A committee composed of members from the city council, city staff, the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau and the public developed the plan to make the trolley available for the community and visitors.

The name "City View Trolley" was chosen through a Name the Trolley contest during the Black Hills Home Builders Home Show in the spring. By submitting the winning name, Vesta Johnson and Lisa Sissenstein earned unlimited rides during the 2007 trolley season.

The trolley will operate seasonally from late spring to early fall.

For more information, call the Rapid City Trolley information line at 394-6631 or visit www.rapidride.org.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415, or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com