Phoenix Street Railway

The Phoenix Street Railway provided streetcar service in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1887 to 1948. The motto was, "Ride a Mile and Smile the While."

History

The line was originally founded in 1887 and used horse-drawn carts. Beginning in 1893, however, the railway was completely electrified. The line was popular with the locals and was partly responsible for the growth patterns observed in the early history of Phoenix. By the 1920s, several lines operated to a distance as far away as Glendale.

In October of 1947, a catastrophic fire destroyed most of the streetcar fleet. City officials were left with the decision to either rebuild the fleet or use buses. Buses were ultimately chosen, and the streetcar system was abandoned. Ever since, the Phoenix area has been built around the automobile and until recently relied solely on buses for public transportation. Public rail transit did not return to the area until the METRO Rail system was conceived and built, which is scheduled to begin running in late 2008.

Today, two Phoenix streetcars may be seen at the Arizona Street Railway Museum in downtown Phoenix.

External links

* [http://phoenixtrolley.com/ Arizona Street Railway Museum]
* [http://www.azrail.org/trains/transit/transit-history/ A Brief History of Public Transit in Arizona] (Arizona Rail Passenger Association)

See also

*METRO Light Rail by Valley Metro is Phoenix's new light rail system.
*List of Arizona railroads

References

*"Ride a Mile and Smile the While" segment, Channel 15, Noon News, 29 May 1998
*Ride A Mile and Smile the While. [A history of the Phoenix Street Railway Co.] Book.