Trolley to Bloomsbury Park, 1913, Courtesy of N.C. State Archives
Recent work on Glenwood Avenue has turned that busy street into a pockmarked disaster, with construction blocking lanes and backing up traffic. I’ve been avoiding that road to keep my sanity (and my car in alignment). However, I couldn’t help but gawk yesterday when I drove through Five Points because the road work has uncovered rails from Raleigh’s old trolley line.
I’ve always been captivated by the now-defunct streetcar system. I’ve written Progress Energy before, asking them if they have any old trolley maps. Never heard back from them. And I know some downtown buildings used to be trolley-related. But briefly uncovered was hard evidence:trolley tracks!
I didn’t care what drivers behind me thought: I took my time riding up the road in front of the Rialto Theatre, tracing the lines in the exposed concrete. There were the actual tracks, hidden for decades beneath countless layers of asphalt! Yes, I’m a hopeless geek, but I was thrilled to see those steel rails. I also have to admit my glee at hearing how those rails had taken out some of the teeth of the paving machines. Serves them right!
I was amused at the timing, thinking how different the world might be if these tracks hadn’t been buried. Perhaps the Gulf of Mexico would still be alive. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll one day reconsider the wisdom of basing our society on finite resources and the trolley bells will ring once again.