John Lancaster, Chief Development Officer with MATA, says that when the system was fully operational, the Downtown trolley system had more than a million riders annually.
But the current fleet of trolleys — restored antiques that are more than a century old — are difficult to maintain. MATA is now testing a vehicle that — vintage 1980s — could modernize the fleet enough to see the Madison Avenue line come back into service.
However, there are no immediate plans to create a trolley link between Downtown and Overton Park/Overton Square.
