The blue line trolley is back: Downtown to Northwood to the Outlet mall

The Blue line trolley connecting downtown, Northwood, and the Palm Beach Outlet Mall is back on the road.

Beginning this week, the blue line that began last season as a third free transit option in the city of West Palm Beach is once again up and running.

The route connects downtown, Northwood Village and the Outlet Mall.

The cost for the route is once again being covered by the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the Downtown Development Authority, and the Outlet Mall.

What was originally intended to be a year round service had to be discontinued earlier in the year when the Outlet Mall announced it would not pay for the trolley during the months when most seasonal residents are no longer in the area.

That decision removed a significant portion of funding for the service, forcing it to shut down.

According to the city, the mall is continuing to refuse to pay for the trolley during the "off season." It's a decision that both West Palm Beach Commissioners Shanon Materio and Keith James called "disappointing."

Commissioner James urged city staff to let the mall know "how serious we are about having them cooperate."

The trolley will run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am until 10pm (when the final trolley leaves from the Outlet Mall).

This year, more stops are being added to the route, including the new Hilton Hotel, the Hyatt Hotel, and the Residence Inn, giving out of town visitors much more access to the trolley system.

There is also talk of adding the La Fontana and Portofino condos, which are in the Northwood neighborhood. These additions would give both residents and visitors greater access to public transportation and provide our retailers more access to additional customers.