More Florentines are leaving their cars at home and riding the tram. The number of passengers using Tramvia’s Line 1 since it began operation on February 14, 2010 has surged from 25 passengers a day to 40,000 in the past eight months, and has taken off the road 3,000 private cars that were travelling between Florence and Scandicci every day.
The line, which connects Florence and Scandicci in 20 minutes, with trams running every four minutes, allows commuters, students and tourists to travel quickly, safely and at a lower cost than they would by car.
October’s daily passenger count of 40,000 exceeded projections for use of the Tramvia Line 1, and the number of passengers continues to increase.
‘A safe bet,’ said Philip Bonaccorsi, president of GEST, which manages the tramvia, ‘that can still bring positive results; providing an impact . . . and further the development of public transit. To ensure this development, a park-and-ride system and a new design for traffic urban, suburban and tourist traffic both need to be realized. We need to focus more decisively on a system that optimizes [the tram’s] potential.’
For schedule and other information on the Tramvia Line 1, see www.gestramvia.it. (j.b.)
