Budget Cuts Affecting Major El Paso Tourist Attraction

One of the city’s most popular tourist attractions is going through some unpopular changes. The Wyler Aerial Tramway will soon have shorter hours of operation, and it’s already dealing with a bare bones crew after park officials were forced to cut almost half the tramway’s staff.

“It’s been a somber mood (around here),” said Humberto Quionez, the park’s director. The tramway used to operate five days a week, but soon it will only be open Friday through Sunday. On holidays it will also be open on Mondays. Quionez said five employees were laid off after the changes were announced last week.

“We became like a family. It was hard to see them go,” said Quionez.

The cuts at Wyler were mandated by the Texas State Park Division. State Parks Division Director Brent Leisure said his office had to find $8.35 million in cuts and had even considered closing the Wyler Aerial Tramway at one point. He said the changes at Wyler will save about $125,000 and that other state parks throughout the state have also been dealing with slashed budgets.

It’s not just Wyler Aerial Tramway that took a big hit– an El Paso office that oversaw state parks in the area was eliminated. Three people were let go from that office, which overlooked the Franklin Mountains State Park, Hueco Tanks and the Wyler Aerial Tramway. Those duties will now be passed on to a regional office based out of Fort Davis.