Public Transportation History Statistics

Public transportation, except for ferryboats, was not a part of life until the 19th century, since home, work, and recreation were almost always within walking distance of each other.  As distances in growing cities increased, horse-pulled stagecoaches were introduced to meet the need for better transportation for the few who could afford it, and the railroad was invented.  The horsecar--initially a horse-pulled stagecoach body on special wheels that ran on rails--was devised to operate on the unpaved or poorly paved streets of that era.

As technology developed, elevated steam railroads, cable-pulled cars, electric streetcars, and underground electric trains all became common, and many of these developments were pioneered in the U.S. All operated on rails, and it wasn’t until the 1910-1920 period that improved street pavement and internal combustion engines led to the widespread introduction of buses.