Wildwood’s Tram Cars will run this summer, but with precautions

“Watch the tram car, please!”

While they weren’t running this Memorial Day Weekend, rest assured that the iconic yellow trams on the Wildwood boardwalk will be running this summer. They just need to be upgraded for the era of coronavirus.

According to CBS Philly, the trams are being outfitted with plexiglass dividers and retractable plastic to help keep riders safe. Also, the trains will be sanitized twice hourly by being sprayed with a disinfectant and being wiped down.

The trams have been a staple of the Wildwoods since 1949, running along the two miles of the Wildwoods Boardwalk from 16th Street in North Wildwood to Cresse Avenue at the Wildwood/Wildwood Crest border. A one way ride takes about 30 minutes and this year will cost $4. An app is in the works that would allow for transactions without human interaction, again, to help contain the virus.

The original tram cars were built for the 1939 Worlds Fair in Flushing, New York. A local businessman, Gilbert Ramagosa, brought them to the Wildwoods Boardwalk ten years later. John Siciliano, the head of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, told NJ.com, “The Wildwoods Sightseer Tram Cars, and the passengers riding them, will be a welcomed sight and sound on our boardwalk this summer, especially after a long dormant winter and spring.”

The trams start running at 11:00 am and run while the amusements are open. A one day pass (good until 5 PM) is $10.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.