Palm Springs Tramway closure price tag: $4 million
Not much has changed, timeline-wise, when it comes to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s reopening. On February 25, Tram officials tacked down a tentative re-opening date for the world’s largest rotating tramway for April 1, and Monday, that date was re-affirmed.
In the release, more information was released on the financial impact, outside of repairs, that the Tram took on as a result of the storm-related closure.
“While the Tramway was on track for record attendance in fiscal year 2018-19, it is estimated that nearly 100,000 visitors were displaced due to the 46-day closure (based upon the prior year’s attendance numbers),” read the release. “The Tram also estimates that the incident resulted in almost $4 million in repair costs and lost ticket revenues.”
The repairs needed for one of the Coachella Valley’s most major attractions were expanded in late February, up from the initial February 19 partial damage assessment.
The repairs:
Repair work to the washed-out portion of Tram Way should be completed by the end of this week. Upon completion of road repairs, heavy equipment will be brought up to remove debris, such as rocks and trees. Contractors will begin repairs to the main power line (to restore power to the Mountain Station) and repair the Valley Station’s fire suppression system. Crews are digging out dirt and debris currently blocking the intake valve to the Valley Station water tank. Once refilled and properly treated, potable water will be available at the Valley Station. In addition to the previously reported water damage at the Mountain Station, some minor roof damage has been discovered. Additional minor damage to Tram Way has been identified.
“We truly look forward to welcoming back Tram visitors beginning April 1st. Also, I wish to extend a sincere thank you to the entire Tramway staff for their efforts during our closure,” said
Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols in Monday’s release, “And I’d like to offer a special thanks to our maintenance department for their tireless repair efforts and to our security department for their gracious greeting at our entry gate of disappointed patrons.”
Despite the lack of revenue due to the closure, the Tram still kept its payroll running since the historic February storm; employees were told they would continue to be paid until the April 1 reopening.
“There was a 70-year flood, we got more rain than the desert has seen in a while caused it to come down the mountain and essentially cause some flooding,” Cara Youngman, the Public Relations Manager for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, told News Channel 3’s Sarah Trott on February 22.
