The new trolley plans to offer more than just a new ride.

The 1999 Freightliner that seats 30, is not only equipped with heating and air, but provides a wheelchair lift for handicapped students.

The university hopes the new trolley, purchased from a trucking company in California, will more reliable than the old one.

It was just too expensive to continue operating, due to many maintenance problems, Ashley Mew, director of campus safety, said.

The university has made plans to sell the old trolley in the near future.

“We certainly got a lot of good used out of the old trolley, but it was time for us to upgrade and offer our students a better means of on campus transportation,” Mew said.

Before the new trolley hit the streets, Lee had several preventative safety checks performed in order to ensure the vehicle’s safety and reliability.

“We want to make sure it is in good working condition before we put it in operation,” Mew said.

Hundreds of students each week use the trolley service provided by Lee University, the heaviest times just before chapel.

A ride on the trolley prevents many students from bearing the extreme hot and cold or walking through the rain, especially for those students who live in far away dorms such as Bowdle and O’Bannon.

The idea for the new trolley came about after a request from senior Leslie Hartman. The new accessibility on the trolley will be especially helpful during rain and cold weather for these students.

Bo Franks, the driver of the trolley, makes a circle around Lee Campus every 15-20 minutes between the hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

In the past years, Lee has made strides to improve handicap accessibility on campus.

“When I first came here, Lee wasn’t very handicapped accessible, but they are willing to improve,” Hartman said.

Since Hartman arrived in the fall of 2006, Lee has improved things for handicapped students’ comfort, such as installing push buttons to open doors to flattening sidewalks and lightening pathways so wheelchairs and bikers can get around more easily.