List of trolleybus systems in the United States

This is a list of trolleybus systems in the United States by state. It includes all trolleybus systems, past and present. About 65Murray, Alan (2000). World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. . 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 Birmingham 30 April 1947 22 November 1958

Arkansas

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Capitol Transportation Co.Trolley Coach Operating Expenses 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.Murray (2000), p. 79. Later, there were 1922 and 1937 demonstrations of newer vehicles. Los Angeles Transit Lines (1947–58); Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (1958–63) 3 August 1947 30 March 1963 Lines 2 and 3Construction of a new system was planned in the early 1990s, but the plans were cancelled in December 1993 because of a severe budget crisis.Trolleybus Magazine (TM) No. 194 (March–April 1994), p. 56. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452. (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

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Greenwich July 1897 c. January 1898 Demonstration (H. Van Hœvenbergh). First passenger-carrying trolleybus on a public road.Bruce, Ashley R. (2017). Lombard-Gerin and Inventing the Trolleybus, pp. 21, 26. Trolleybooks (UK). . Operated for two hours a day, for six months. New Haven 1903 Demonstration (A. Upham).

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.Sebree, Mac; and Ward, Paul (1974). The Trolley Coach in North America. Los Angeles: Interurbans. LCCN 74-20367.

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 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". One Des Moines trolleybus is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.

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 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.Trolleybus Magazine (TM) No. 260, March–April 2005. 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

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Detroit 19 June 1930 11 August 1937 Also 1921 and 1924 demonstrations. 15 December 1949 16 November 1962 Flint 1936 Demonstration. 6 December 1936 26 March 1956.

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

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Reno 1897 Demonstration. (W. Caffery).

New Jersey

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Camden 1 September 1935 1 June 1947 "All-Service Vehicle" (ASV) system. Newark 15 September 1935 10 November 1948 "All-Service Vehicle" (ASV) system.

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 23 April 1933 (28 April 1941) Sold to . Oakwood Street Railway Company (Oakwood and Dayton Transit Company) 19 January 1936 (1 October 1956) Sold to . Peoples Railway Company (Peoples Transit Company) 11 October 1936 (9 March 1945) Sold to . 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) Sold to . 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.Box, Roland (July–August 2010). "More about the 2000s". Trolleybus Magazine No. 292, p. 82. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452. See also Trolleybuses in Philadelphia Pittsburgh 28 September 1936 11 October 1936 Demonstration. 1949 Demonstration. Scranton 1903 Demonstration. (A. Upham). Wilkes-Barre 15 December 1939 16 October 1958

Rhode Island

Name of system Location Date (from) Date (to) Notes Pawtucket 26 December 1931 30 May 1953 Providence 22 June 1935 24 June 1955 Providence – Pawtucket 9 November 1940 6 July 1953

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. 1924 Demonstration. 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. 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

List of trolleybus systems in the United States

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