Beirut Tramway
Beirut maintained a public tramway from the early to mid 20th century. The first tramline was developed under the Ottoman rule and continued operation under the French Mandate up to the 1960s, as modern automobiles became widely adopted. With the problem of congestion and severe traffic jams caused by the explosion of cars in the Beirut Metropolitan area, trams have been proposed as a possible solution.[1]
History
The tramway system in Beirut opened in April 1908 and lasted until September 1965. The golden age of the Beirut Tram saw it cover 12 Kilometers around Beirut's center in 1931.[citation needed] As automobiles became more widely adopted, tram tracks were removed to give way for more cars until the tram was fully decommissioned in September 1968.[2]
Gallery
- Terminus on Basta Street, 1925
- Line 2 tram in Bliss Street, 1940s
- Line 3 tram, 1950s
- Network plan, 1961
See also
References
- ^ Perry 2000, p. 405: "A light rail system would benefit travel within Beirut proper."
- ^
- Monroe 2017, p. 188: "On 3 March 1959 the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient announced the impending demise of Beirut's tramway system."
- Perry 2000, p. 405: "Tramways were the backbone of Beirut's public transport system until the 1960s, when they were abolished in favour of buses."
Bibliography
- Monroe, Kristin V. (2017). "Circulation, modernity, and urban space in 1960s Beirut". History and Anthropology. 28 (2): 188–210. doi:10.1080/02757206.2017.1279613.
- Perry, Mark (2000). "Car dependency and culture in Beirut: Effects of an American transport paradigm". Third World Planning Review. 22 (4): 395–409. doi:10.3828/twpr.22.4.k372318t225x243u.