Main Street Trolley set to return April 30
The Memphis Area Transit Authority announced Monday that the Main Street Trolley will return April 30, after a nearly four-year absence.
The return caps a more than $10 million push for new or refurbished equipment and infrastructure and creation of new operating and maintenance procedures designed to ensure safety and reliability. Trolley service on Main Street, Riverfront and Madison Avenue lines was shut down in June 2014 because of electrical problems that caused fires on two trolleys carrying passengers. No one was hurt, but the problems caused a top-to-bottom rebuild of the system.
Now that the Main Street Line is coming back, MATA officials turn their energies to bringing back the Riverfront Loop in 2019 and the Madison Line in late 2019 to early 2020.
From April 30 through May 14, trolley rides will be free. MATA officials say they want to show appreciation for the public’s patience in waiting for the trolleys’ return. After May 14, fares will be $1 per ride. MATA Chief Executive Officer Gary Rosenfeld said the public is invited to a ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. April 30 at the trolley barn at 545 N. Main.
The trolley’s return will meet MATA’s goal of restoring service in April, with a few hours to spare, Rosenfeld said. The service had previously been scheduled to resume by the end of 2017, but there were unexpected delays in refurbishing wood-framed cars.
It will come just in time for one of Downtown’s busiest times of the year, during the Memphis in May International Festival and Beale Street Music Festival.
Rosenfeld said the service will resume with three vintage trolley cars in
from our audience has been very positive. And we were able to round things out with a nice mix of rock and pop performers in Boy George, the B-52s and Train.”
This year’s roster includes a pair of returning acts: The B-52s appeared at Live in the Garden in 2008, and Train performed as part of the 2009 series. The rest of the artists will be making their debuts at the venue.
Season subscriptions for Live at the Garden go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Regular lawn passes are $200 for all five shows. The Garden is once again offering its “premium” lawn pass, which will allow ticket holders through the gates 15 minutes before the general public. A limited number of those passes are available for $250 plus fees and are only available at the Botanic Garden box office, 750 Cherry Road.
Tickets for individual concerts go on sale at 10 a.m. May 7. Lawn tickets are $45 for each show. The Garden will once again make front “pit” tickets available as well for $86 each. Those also go on sale May 7. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or (800) 745-3000.
Before the Live at the Garden series gets started, the Botanic Garden will host its third Summer Symphony on May 26. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra concert will feature a guest performance by Grammy winner Wynonna Judd.
This summer the Botanic Garden also will partner with Entercom radio station 94.1-FM The Wolf for a June 20 concert from rising country music stars Midland and Trent Harmon.
“That one will be a little different from Live at the Garden,” May said. “Part of the charm of (Live at the Garden) is the fact you can bring in your food and wine and have a picnic. The shows with The Wolf will instead have food trucks and bars, multiple concessions on site, just to have a different kind of feel.”
Tickets for the Midland/Harmon concert are available now through Ticketmaster.