List of trolleybus systems in the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of trolleybus systems in the United States by state. It includes all trolleybus systems, past and present. About 65[1]: 78 trolleybus systems have existed in the U.S. at one time or another. In this list, boldface type in the "location" column and blue background colored row indicates one of the four U.S. trolleybus systems still in operation.
Alabama
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Electric Company Birmingham Transit [2] | Birmingham | 30 April 1947 | 22 November 1958 | |
Arkansas
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Transportation Co.[3] | Little Rock | 26 December 1947 | 1 March 1956 | |
California
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 11 September 1910 | 1915 | Located in Laurel Canyon. The first commercial trolleybus system in the United States.[4][5][6] Later, there were 1922 and 1937 demonstrations of newer vehicles.[1][7][a] | |
| Los Angeles Transit Lines (1947–58); Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (1958–63)[6] | 3 August 1947 | 30 March 1963 | Lines 2 and 3 Construction of a new system was planned in the early 1990s, but the plans were cancelled in December 1993 because of a severe budget crisis.[9] | |
| (Oakland) | Construction started 1945, not completed. Vehicles built for Oakland were used in Los Angeles. | |||
| San Francisco | 6 October 1935 | The first trolleybus line was opened by the former Market Street Railway Company (MSR). The San Francisco Municipal Railway ("Muni") opened the second trolleybus line on 7 September 1941. MSR was absorbed by Muni on 29 September 1944. Most of the current trolleybus system was built to replace MSR tramway lines. See also Trolleybuses in San Francisco | ||
| (Wrightwood) | Line planned ca. 1911 by Lone Pine Utilities Company, an affiliate of Laurel Canyon Utilities Company. Planned to connect Grava railway station (or halt) to Wrightwood. A contemporary account in a local newspaper states that construction was started but not completed. | |||
Colorado
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Tramway Co. | Denver | 2 June 1940 | 10 June 1955 | |
Connecticut
Delaware
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | 24 September 1939 | 6 December 1957 | ||
Georgia
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Railway and Power Company (1937-1950), then Atlanta Transit Company (1950-1963) | Atlanta | 28 June 1937 | 27 September 1963 | Mass conversion of 20 streetcar lines to trackless trolleys in 1949. In 1950, had 453 coaches and was the largest system in the United States.[11] |
Hawaii
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu Rapid Transit Company Limited | Honolulu | 1936 | - | Demonstration |
| 1 January 1938 | 22 June 1957 |
Illinois
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Transit Authority | Chicago | 17 April 1930[12] | 25 March 1973 | |
| Peoria | 13 November 1931 | 3 October 1946 | ||
| Rockford | 10 December 1930 | 6 June 1947 | ||
Indiana
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne | 7 July 1940 | 12 June 1960 | ||
| Indianapolis | 4 December 1932 | 10 May 1957 |
Iowa
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Railway Co./Des Moines Transit Co. | Des Moines | 9 October 1938 | 24 January 1964 | Trolleybuses here were known as "Curbliners".[13] One Des Moines trolleybus is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.[14] |
Kansas
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topeka | 27 March 1932 | 30 June 1940 | ||
Kentucky
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington | 11 September 1937 | 12 March 1958 | System extended across the Ohio River to Cincinnati. | |
| Louisville | 27 December 1936 | 7 May 1951 | ||
Louisiana
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 2 December 1929 | 26 March 1967 | ||
| Shreveport | 15 December 1931 | 26 May 1965 | ||
Maryland
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore: | ||||
| ♦ Baltimore - Randallstown | 1 November 1922 | 31 August 1931 | ||
| ♦ Urban system | 6 March 1938 | 21 June 1959 | ||
Massachusetts
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Elevated Railway (1936–1947); Metropolitan Transit Authority (1947–1964); Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (1964–2023) |
Greater Boston[b] | 11 April 1936 | 30 June 2023 | |
| ♦ Cambridge - Watertown - Belmont | 11 April 1936 | 12 March 2022 | ||
| ♦ Boston: Somerville - Medford - Arlington | 8 November 1941 | 31 March 1963 | ||
| ♦ Boston: Everett - Malden | 28 November 1936 | 31 March 1963 | ||
| ♦ Boston: East Boston - Chelsea - Revere | 5 January 1952 | 9 September 1961 | ||
| ♦ Boston: Dorchester | 25 December 1948 | 6 April 1962 | Not connected with remainder of the system. | |
| ♦ Boston: Arborway | 29 September 1951 | 1 October 1958 | Not connected with remainder of the system. | |
| ♦ Boston: South Boston Waterfront (MBTA's Silver Line – Waterfront) | 17 December 2004 | 30 June 2023 | Dual-mode (diesel-trolley) buses used electric traction in the South Boston Waterfront tunnel and a short surface section, and diesel propulsion elsewhere.[16] Replaced by diesel-electric hybrid buses with extended battery range for the tunnel. See also Trolleybuses in Greater Boston | |
| Fairhaven | 16 October 1915 | 1 December 1915 | Experimental. | |
| Fitchburg | 10 May 1932 | 30 June 1946 | System also served Leominster. | |
Michigan
Minnesota
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | 15 October 1931 | 15 May 1957 | ||
| Twin City Rapid Transit Company | Minneapolis | 5 May 1922 | 22 May 1923 | Experimental. One-wire trolley pole overhead, and a shoe to streetcar rails below to complete the circuit. |
Missouri
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 29 May 1938 | 4 January 1959 | Interstate line to Kansas City, Kansas opened 4 October 1950; closed 14 July 1951 because of flood damage. | |
| Saint Joseph | 1 August 1932 | 22 November 1966 | ||
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 30 December 1949 | January 1950 | Demonstration. | |
| Cohoes | 2 November 1924 | 12 December 1937 (or 9 October 1933) | ||
| New York | 1923 | Demonstration. | ||
| Brooklyn | 23 July 1930 | 26 July 1960 | ||
| Staten Island | 8 October 1921 | 16 October 1927 | ||
| Rochester | 1 November 1923 | 22 March 1932 | ||
North Carolina
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro | 15 July 1934 | 5 June 1956 | ||
Ohio
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 12 December 1941 | 6 June 1959 | ||
| Cincinnati | 1 December 1936 | 18 June 1965 | ||
| Cleveland Transit System | Cleveland | 1 March 1936 | 14 June 1963 | |
| Columbus | 3 December 1933 | 3 May 1965 | ||
| Dayton Street Railway Company (Dayton Street Transit Company) | Dayton[f] | 23 April 1933 | (28 April 1941)[g] | Sold to CRC. |
| Oakwood Street Railway Company (Oakwood and Dayton Transit Company) | 19 January 1936 | (1 October 1956)[g] | Sold to CTC. | |
| Peoples Railway Company (Peoples Transit Company) | 11 October 1936 | (9 March 1945)[g] | Sold to CRC. | |
| The City Railway Company (later The City Transit Company) | 25 March 1938 | See also Trolleybuses in Dayton | ||
| Dayton-Xenia Railway Company | 1 October 1940 | (31 October 1955)[g] | Sold to CTC. | |
| Toledo | 1 February 1935 | 28 May 1952 | ||
| Youngstown | 11 November 1936 | 10 June 1959 | ||
Oregon
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Traction Co.; Rose City Transit Co. |
Portland | 30 August 1936 | 23 October 1958 | Also demonstration, May 1935 - October 1935. |
Pennsylvania
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnstown Traction Company | Johnstown | 20 November 1951 | 11 November 1967 | |
| Philadelphia | 14 October 1923 | Also demonstration in 1921. Service suspended 1 July 2003 – 14 April 2008.[18] See also Trolleybuses in Philadelphia | ||
| Pittsburgh | 28 September 1936 | 11 October 1936 | Demonstration. | |
| 1949 | Demonstration. | |||
| Scranton | 1903 | Demonstration. (A. Upham).[10] | ||
| Wilkes-Barre | 15 December 1939 | 16 October 1958 | ||
Rhode Island
South Carolina
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | 19 August 1934 | 20 February 1956 | ||
Tennessee
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | 28 April 1930 | 1 July 1945 | ||
| Memphis Street Railway Company | Memphis | 8 November 1931 | 22 April 1960 | |
Texas
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | 25 November 1945 | 28 July 1966 | ||
Utah
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | 9 September 1928 | September 1946 | ||
Virginia
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | 1921 | Demonstration.[20] | ||
| 1924 | Demonstration.[20] | |||
| Petersburg | 19 June 1923 | 31 December 1926 | ||
| Portsmouth | 1923 | Demonstration. | ||
| Richmond | 1921 | Demonstration. | ||
Washington
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Transit System (until 1973); Metro (1973 to present) |
Seattle | 28 April 1940 | Also 27 February 1937 – 9 March 1937 demonstration. All service suspended 21 January 1978 – 14 September 1979 for renewal.[h] See also Trolleybuses in Seattle |
Dual-mode (diesel-trolley) buses operated 15 September 1990 – 24 January 2005 on routes using the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The overhead wire system in the tunnel was not connected to that used by surface trolleybus services.
Wisconsin
| Name of system | Location | Date (from) | Date (to) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha | 15 February 1932 | 1 March 1952 | ||
| Merrill Railway & Lighting Co. | Merrill | January 1913 | December 1913 | Experimental. |
| Milwaukee | 8 November 1936 | 20 June 1965 |
Notes
- First system connected Sunset Boulevard with a new housing development, "Bungalow Town," in Laurel Canyon. Built and operated by Laurel Canyon Utilities Company.[8]
- The historic trolleybus ("trackless trolley") system of the Boston metropolitan area had six groups of lines.[15]
- The "All-Service Vehicle" systems used gasoline-electric motorbuses modified for operation from external power or onboard engine-generator set. The route systems were not fully electrified, and operating depots had no overhead wires. (A modern-day equivalent of this is the dual-mode bus.)
- The Newark ASV system also served many adjacent towns, including the Hudson County towns of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Union City and West New York, the Passaic County towns of Passaic and Paterson, and the Union County towns of Elizabeth and Plainfield.
- Dayton was a notable exception to the "typical" U.S. trend of consolidation ("unification") of public transport services. Five companies operated tramway service from 1909 to 1933. All five companies operated trolleybuses for several months in 1940–41, prior to the beginning of consolidations. The largest company, the City Railway Company (CRC), became the City Transit Company (CTC) in 1955 and was taken into public ownership by the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority in 1972. MVRTA is known today as the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority.
- Date of sale
- All overhead wires, other infrastructure and vehicles (but not most support poles for the wires) were replaced during the 1978–79 suspension, but the transition is not considered the end of one system and the beginning of a "second" system, because the suspension was only temporary, for upgrading. The current system is widely considered as having opened in 1940.[1]
