On Thursday, county officials unveiled its public transportation system’s new name and look for the vehicles.

The old white buses with the blue stripes, which the county has used since 2002, is being replaced. Not every bus has the new wrap yet, explained CHQ Transit coordinator Michele Westphal, but they all will shortly.

Some of the buses unveiled Thursday show images of Dunkirk City Hall, the 1891 Fredonia Opera House, downtown Sherman, the Chautauqua Belle, sunflowers, and tractors in grapefields. Westphal said other images will be coming including the Lucy Desi-Center and the National Comedy Center.

“There should be something from every community,” she said.

This CHQ Transit bus is wrapped in a photo that highlights the Chautauqua Belle.

In total, there will be 34 buses colored with wraps, along with three trolly buses. The trolly buses aren’t good in snow, so they will only be used in summer months. One of the trolleys is available for rent by private citizens, for things like wine tours and weddings.

The eight buses and the red trolley that were on display Thursday were brand new. The county was able to pay for them through a $826,900 grant from the state Department of Transportation.

Other funding was awarded from the Modernization and Enhancement Program Grant also by the state DOT. A total of $1.5 million in grand funding allowed for the purchase of three hybrid trolleys totaling $600,000. While the trolleys are hybrids, the new eight buses are still gas powered, like the old CARTS buses were.

“I’m very proud to see this rebranding effort come full circle,” explained County Executive PJ Wendel. “These new buses and trolley cars look incredible and not only fill a vital niche as our area’s sole public transit source, but also, act as moving billboards showing off the great amenities Chautauqua County has to offer.”

There are other changes coming too.

Westphal said they are looking into having a cashless fare system and a mobile app. The app could be used to track buses in real time so riders know if they’ve missed their stop or not. She said that upgrade is down the road; they still have to advertise and find a consultant before that can take place.

For riders who prefer to use cash or the punch card system, Westphal said there are no plans for those to go away; the cashless system will be more for those who prefer that style of payment.

Westphal admitted it will take some time to get used to the new name.

Even Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sunquist errored when speaking. “I’ve been honored and proud to work with this entire team over at CARTS, along with the county executive, to help work on and improve to create a CARTS hub in downtown Jamestown — I mean CHQ Transit. I told you I’d mess it up,” he said with a laugh.

The county is working with the city of Jamestown to create a hub on Hopkins Avenue for the busing system.

According to Westphal, the county’s busing system makes around 800,000 trips annually.