Will Jolley Trolley Leadership Change Affect Planned Safety Harbor Route?

This article was written and reported by Jared Leone.

Bob Longenecker is out, but it is business as usual at the Jolley Trolley.

The transit system’s board of directors removed Longenecker as the executive director during its June 18 meeting, said Bob Clifford, chairman of the board.

The seemingly abrupt change was months in the works, Clifford said, but he did not want to talk about the details of the departure and said the transit company is forging ahead on initiatives started under Longenecker.

He said Longenecker did a good job expanding the trolley service during his four-year tenure and thanked him for his service.

“The board of directors wanted a change there,” Clifford said.

Improving the management structure was identified as a high priority of the trolley's board of directors, according to its 2012 business plan:

"We are not yet to a point that we have identified a successor to our Executive Director(ED); however, we continue to recruit and consider candidates on an on-going basis."

Rosemary Longenecker, who was director of sales, is now executive director. She will oversee day-to-day operations and expanding the transit provider's service.

It is full speed ahead on several of the Jolley Trolley initiatives, including developing a strategy to store the growing number of trolleys and on demand vehicles as well as develop a Clearwater Beach to Safety Harbor route, Clifford said.

“We always strive to improve no matter who’s running the bus,” Clifford said.

Finding space to park the expanding fleet is a goal for the trolley, Clifford said. Two on demand vehicles take up a former handicap parking space at the Pelican Walk Plaza on Clearwater Beach, where the trolley administration office is located. The trolleys are kept at space rented from the city.

“Space is a challenge for us,” Clifford said. “We’re trying to put a strategy together to offset the size of the fleet.”

There also are plans to expand on the success of the on demand service offered on Clearwater Beach, Clifford said.

Building off the success of the coastal route, which runs from Clearwater Beach to Tarpon Springs through downtown Dunedin and Palm Harbor, are plans to expand service from the beach to downtown Safety Harbor.

Clifford hopes that can come about before the end of the year. It is dependent on city and PSTA adding the route to its budgets.

“We’re anxious to try and make that happen,” Clifford said.