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]
Located in
Laurel Canyon. The first commercial trolleybus system in the United States.[3][4][5] Later, there were 1922 and 1937 demonstrations of newer vehicles.[1][6][a]
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.[8]
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.
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.
Dual-mode (diesel-trolley) buses used electric traction in the South Boston Waterfront tunnel and a short surface section, and diesel propulsion elsewhere.[15]
Also 27 February 1937 – 9 March 1937 demonstration. All service suspended 21 January 1978 – 14 September 1979 for renewal.[h]
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.
^First system connected
Sunset Boulevard with a new housing development, "Bungalow Town," in
Laurel Canyon. Built and operated by Laurel Canyon Utilities Company.[7]
^
abThe "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 operator conducted a demonstration at
Weehawken in 1934 prior to opening of public service with ASVs in 1935. Weehawken was served by the Newark system.
^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.
^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]
Media related to
Trolleybuses in the United States at Wikimedia Commons