1. The History of Public Transportation
Instructor: Dr. Jill Hough
Module 1 – Lesson 2

2. Learning Objectives
Articulate the relationship between the development of transit technology, the transit enterprise, and U.S. urban development.
Describe the positive and negative impacts of the dramatic change in urban travel method and pattern over the past 90 years

3. Overall Context
As the population moved from rural to urban areas, the public transportation allowed for larger urban areas to be efficiently connected.

4. Major Milestones in Transit
1662, the omnibus in Paris
1740 New York use of Ox carts
1827 First horse drawn urban stagecoach (omnibus) London, 1831 NYC -12 passenger
1830 First railroad – Baltimore
1832 Street Railway (horse Car) 7 mph
1871 First steam-powered elevated line
1872 Great horse influenza killed thousands of horses
(Modified from Table 1 in the APTA 2006 Fact Book.
Indications that the first public Transport was in Paris in 1662 and then in Nantes, France (Voiture Omnibus – carriage for all which is where bus came from shortened omnibus)
UK 1824 first “bus route from Market Street in Manchester to Pendelton in Salford
Father of public transit was Abraham Brower – 1829
World’s first horse-powered rail car NYC to Harlem 1832
Between 1832 – 1882 horse drawn street railways were common place

5. Major Milestones in Transit
1873 First cable car – San Francisco
1883 First public operated cable car – New York
1888 First successful street railway transit agency – Richmond, VA
1893 First interurban
1895 First elevated rail line – Chicago
1897 First electric underground – Boston
1882 Chicago
5 companies in san fransico
Andrew haliday first cable-powered street railway 1836
Peak 59 companies operated in 27 cities 1888
Frank sprague richmond partner of thomas edison
St. joseph mo 1887
Interurbans to “suburbs” or countryside
Early elevated were steam powered
1877 nyc elevated
Chicago unique, not built over streets, but through alleys and between bldgs
Steam underground london 1854
Nyc 1900
1894 Boston – first major infusion of public money

6. Major Milestones in Transit
1904 – First State operated street railway – Bismarck, ND
1905 – First public takeover of a private transportation company (Staten Island Ferry)
1910 – Buses (Jitney)
1932 – First publicly operated heavy rail line – New York
1964 – Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
1960s-1970s – Conversion from private ownership to pubic agency ownership
1983 – Public transportation trust fund for capital projects created through dedication of one cent of federal gas tax
1990 – Americans with Disabilities Act

7. History of the Transit Enterprise
Pre 1890s Individual entrepreneurs, small firms, single routes
Most Electric Railways were owned by Utility Companies
1890s-WWII Mergers into one or few large private corps in each city
1920s -- WW II Rapid introduction of auto decline of transit
WWII-1960s Declining profitability, abandonment of service in small towns
WW II s Expansion of highway system - Interstate Era
1960s– “Balanced”transportation concern for energy, air quality
1990s - Present Congestion, air quality, ADA, energy

8. Transit and Urban Development
The industrial revolution led to a migration from rural to urban areas.
To absorb increasing populations, urban areas needed to spread out.
Improved public transportation allowed for larger urban areas to be efficiently connected.

9. Transit Ridership Trends
Transit Ridership grew steadily from the 1890s through the 1920s.
Ridership began to decline during the Great Depression due to increased unemployment, bankruptcy of transit systems and introduction of automobile.

10. Transit Ridership Trends (cont.)
Ridership reached all-time high during World War II (about 28 billion one-way passenger trips) due to gas rationing, full employment.
Ridership dropped to about 6 billion one-way passenger trips in mid 1960s before rising due to energy crises, new systems.
Ridership hit post WW II high in 2009 with 10.4 billion one-way passenger trips.

11. Relationship of Technology to Enterprise Form
Few economies of scale for horse car systems therefore small firms, individual routes feasible.
Electric streetcars required large investments in rolling stock, power generation and distribution so large enterprise desirable.
Monopoly or duopoly structure continues today.