![]() Steam railroadsĮven as some workers learned to depend on omnibuses and horsecars for their daily commute, others began riding intercity trains between home and work. After the Civil War, these companies began to merge, reducing competition. Whether running omnibuses or horsecars, private operators were granted government franchises to operate their vehicles on specific routes. By 1853, horsecars in New York alone carried about seven million riders. First introduced in New York City in 1832, horsecars spread in the 1850s, thanks to a method of laying rail flush with the pavement so it would not interfere with other traffic. In contrast, horsecars running on iron rails provided smoother and faster travel. Omnibuses spared their passengers some fatigue, but they subjected them to a bumpy ride that was scarcely faster than walking. Omnibuses - stagecoaches modified for local service - originated in France, and the idea spread to New York City in 1829, Philadelphia in 1831, Boston in 1835, and Baltimore in 1844. The history of mass transit on land in the United States begins in the 1830s with the introduction of horse-drawn omnibuses and streetcars in Eastern cities. The Era of Private Entrepreneurs Omnibuses and horsecars ![]() And in an age of concern about greenhouse gases and petroleum dependence, mass transit provides an important alternative to the automobile to millions of Americans. But while mass transit may seem insignificant on this national scale, since the early nineteenth century it has shaped American cities and continues to do so. Nationwide in 1990, mass transit carried only 5.3 percent of commuting trips, down from 6.4 percent in 1980, and an even smaller percentage of total trips. In the United States mass transit has, for the most part, meant some kind of local bus or rail service, and it is on these modes that this article focuses. Even this definition embraces horse-drawn omnibuses and streetcars, cable cars, electric streetcars and trolley coaches, gasoline and diesel buses, underground and above-ground rail rapid transit, ferries, and some commuter rail service. The term “urban mass transit” generally refers to scheduled intra-city service on a fixed route in shared vehicles.
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