Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Reopens with Big Crowds

[bc_video video_id="6021717141001″ account_id="5728959025001″ player_id="Hkbio1usDM" embed="in-page" padding_top="56%" autoplay="" min_width="0px" max_width="640px" width="100%" height="100%"] Following a near two-month closure and almost $4 million in repair costs and lost revenue, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway reopened Monday. The tramway has been closed since a Feb. 14 storm saturated the area and washed out some streets, including Tramway Road, the main route to the aerial attraction. The first car is scheduled to leave at 10 a.m., with the box office opening at 9:30 a.m. Online ticket sales will resume April 8, tramway officials said. "While the tramway was on track for record attendance in fiscal year 2018-19, it is estimated that nearly 100,000 visitors were displaced due to the 46-day closure," spokeswoman Cara Youngman said. "The tram also estimates that the incident resulted in almost $4 million in repair costs and lost ticket revenues." In addition to the washed-out roadway, the rain caused damage to the attraction’s main power line, along with the Valley Station water tank and Mountain Station roof, Youngman said. Last month, the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority approved $351,071 to fund identified repairs, while also setting aside up to $500,000 for other potential repairs, engineering and inspections, at the discretion of the general manager. The authority also approved $300,000 to continue paying the tramway’s roughly 70 employees through April 1. "We truly look forward to welcoming back tram visitors beginning April 1st," Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols said. "Also, I wish to extend a sincere thank you to the entire Tramway staff for their efforts during our closure. And I’d like to offer a special thanks to our maintenance department for their tireless repair efforts and to our security department for their gracious greeting at our entry gate of disappointed patrons." The tramway is billed as the world’s largest rotating tram car and was opened in 1963. It carries visitors 2-and-a-half miles, a trip that takes about 10 minutes. More information can be found at pstramway@pstramway.com.