This is an increasingly popular narrative, but it isn't entirely true. The trams of the 1950s were not well loved by everyone because they were alternatively b

This is an increasingly popular narrative, but it isn't entirely true. The trams of the 1950s were not well loved by everyone because they were alternatively burning hot or frigid cold, they forced all manner of people to squeeze together or hang on the outside as shown in the pictures, and at that time the system had fallen into disrepair during the war and had such deferred maintenance that it was necessary to either rebuild or ditch the system altogether. Being honest about the limitations of the system and its lack of strong popularity helps explain very much. At that time cars were still relatively new so that all the downsides of traffic and freeways were not yet understood. It is also worth noting that modern trams deliver a much more refined experience not only from their own improvements but also from the traffic signal control integration that many newer tram lines enjoy. That kind of system was not available for trams of the 1950s and so they were slower in traffic.