Trolley cars used to be the norm in Panama City, but have long since been replaced by other means of transportation
until now. Plans for a tramway system that runs from 
Casco Viejo to Amador and the Frank Gehry Biodiversity Museum have been completed and a budget is currently in the works.
The five and a half mile line is estimated to cost about $35 million, and a ride on the tram may cost just $2. This would ease the struggles of many residents, visitors, and workers to find parking in some of these areas, and offer quick, efficient transportation.
The proposed line would start in the Plaza Cinco de Mayo and travel down Central Ave and into San Felipe. Upon arriving at the Plaza Santa Ave the line would split into two paths, one ending at Cathedral Square and the other continuing down 12th Street to the seaside Avenue of the Poets.
The proposed trolleys would be the old-fashioned kind, designed after the ones that were used in Panama of old. The electric-powered trolleys would even get their power fashionably, from artistic poles in the historical sectors of the tramways path. In the more developed, modern areas, high-tech invisible wires will be used.
Ariel Espinoso, the Director of the Office of Casco Antiguo is excited about the plans. He explains the primary goal of the rail system is to provide an efficient public transit system as it is an essential part of the transportation network of the city. Now Espinoso just has to wait to see if there is enough funding in the metropolitan transportation plan.
The construction of a tramway would surely be a celebration of Panamas past. The last street-car in Panama reportedly ran on May 31st, 1941. If you walk the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo you can still see remnants of the old tracks that once criss-crossed the city. (You can read more about the streetcars of Panama at www.tramz.com/co/pa/pa.html)
Many agree with Ernesto Orillac, a tour operator in Panama, who believes that, such a system would be an attraction in itself. Not only will the tramway attract visitors, it will also relieve much of the congestion and provide easier access to places of interest in Casco Viejo.
There are still a number of concerns to be dealt with, such as the passing of the tramway through dangerous neighborhoods such as El Chorillo, but the plan is possible and it could mean great things for Casco Viejo.
