On this day in 1938, the last exposed streetcar tracks were removed from the city streets.
The last tracks to be removed were located on Glade Street, from Sunset Drive to Peter’s Creek. They were removed as part of the WPA street improvement projects.
There were other streetcar tracks remaining in the city, but these were covered with asphalt.
Streetcars were discontinued on the streets in December 1936, and public transportation was entirely handled by buses. City residents were anxious to remove the tracks which made driving and walking on the streets more difficult. Buses could run unfettered, routes could be changed easily, and the streetcar drivers did not have to remove snow from the tracks. They may have been the happiest group of all to see the streetcars retire to their barns.
The photograph shows workers removing the tracks, but the exact location is unidentified. Photo courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.
