By Don Logana - bio | email
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Something old is new again. Downtown Savannah is getting a blast from the past.
The old-school streetcar is returning to River Street.
A 1930s-era Melbourne streetcar will arrive in Savannah tomorrow and hit River Street next month. While many like the idea, others have some reservations about its impact on River Street traffic.
Getting up and down River Street isn't always easy.
"A lot of people have problems driving down here and most don't know it is one way," Chris Myers told WTOC.
Myers watches it every day from River Street Sweets where he works. "It can be pretty crazy stuff down here, for sure," he said.
Next month, he thinks it could be even crazier. The City of Savannah is bringing back the old streetcar to take pedestrians to multiple spots along River Street.
"I like the idea of something, bringing back a little nostalgia. I think it will look neat and I think tourists will enjoy that mode of getting around down here," Myers said.
But he thinks not everyone will be happy with the new addition to River Street.
"I think you are going to see frustration and honking horns and what not," Myers said.
"You know, River Street is a high volume location. So when you add another vehicle, you know there will be challenges," Charlie Brazil, general manager of Old Town Trolleys, said.
Brazil's trolleys will have to share River Street with the streetcar.
"From the very start, we have been voicing our concerns about challenges which might face us. I am very optimistic at this point," Brazil told us.
Brazil says city officials have been working on making the streetcar transition smooth and thinks businesses and visitors will enjoy an old attraction, now new again.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing that level of attraction. I think it will be great for a lot of folks. It will be a nice image, get a picture of a trolley and streetcar passing on River Street. Should be really neat," Brazil said.
"Ultimately, it is a good idea," Myers said. "I think it will take some getting used to. There will just have to be some give and take."
City of Savannah officials seem confident the streetcar will be able to co-exist on River Street with other traffic. It will ride the rails in the middle of the road, they say leaving enough room on the sides for delivery trucks and other traffic.
The city will also be cracking down on cars illegally parked, even towing, if they have to.
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