Sun Link celebrated its second anniversary Saturday. As part of the celebration, the streetcar offered free rides all day, thanks to Tucson Electric Power, Fourth Avenue Merchants Association and Main Gate Square.
KXCI and Main Gate Square also sponsored a free concert on board the streetcar at 6 p.m. with Jimmy Carr and The Awkward Moments.
One local rider explained she thinks Sun Link is great for bringing people downtown.
"It brings a lot of people into town, which is the idea," Sandra Higgins said. "To get people to come downtown and enjoy the restaurants, and whatever is going on -- entertainment. So I think it's good for everybody in Tucson.
Stephanie Molina, a cook and bartender at Empire and Pizza Pub, agrees that it's great for business.
"An increase in clientele. People coming from all over the place," Molina said. "They want to try the Sun Tram if they've never done it before. I constantly have waves of people coming through saying they tried if for the first time, still. Even though it's been two years, and they love it."
Molina mentioned the Sun Link really makes the biggest difference for her business in the summer months.
"It has increased significantly, especially during the summer. That's when we've noticed it the most," she said. "Summers are tough, they're tough in Tucson. The U of A lets out, the kids are gone. It gets to be slow time in the restaurant industry. I think that with this tram it has really, really made it easier for us to stay afloat during the summer."
Since the Sun Link streetcar launched on July 25, 2014 approximately 2.05 million passengers have boarded the streetcar.
