History of Maryland Transit Administration

The Maryland Transit Administration was originally known as the Baltimore Metropolitan Transit Authority, then the Maryland Mass Transit Administration before it changed to its current name in October 2001.[1] The MTA took over the operations of the old Baltimore Transit Company on April 30, 1970.[2]

A former no. 8 streetcar, the predecessor to bus Route 8, at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. This vehicle is now used to give rides to visitors.
An 1896 open car in operation at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum

Many routes of the agency's current bus lines are based on the original streetcars operated by the Baltimore Transit Company and its parent companies between the 1890s and 1960s. All of these routes were ultimately converted to rubber tire bus operations, and many were consolidated, extended into newly developed areas, or otherwise reconfigured to keep up with the ridership demands of the times.[2] Additional routes and extensions were added in later years to serve newly developed communities and to feed into Metro and Light Rail stations.

With the growth in popularity of the private automobile during the 20th century, streetcar and bus ridership declined, and the needs for public transportation changed. Mass transit in Baltimore and other cities shifted from a corporate operation to a service funded and run by the government. The amount of service provided was greatly reduced. Some areas once served by streetcars are now served minimally by buses or not at all.[2]

The demise of the Baltimore streetcar took place between the years of 1947 and 1963, hastened by National City Lines' acquisition, which said that buses offered lower maintenance and had greater flexibility in traffic. With its rails demolished, Baltimore was no longer a streetcar city. As transit needs and trends changed, rail transit did return to the city, with the Metro Subway opening in 1983 and the Light Rail in 1992.[2]

The track gauge was 5 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1,638 mm).[3][4] This track gauge is now confined to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

  1. ^ "Department of Transportation: Historical Evolution". Maryland Manual Online. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "A Concise History of Baltimore's Transit". Baltimore Transit Archives. Archived from the original on April 8, 2002. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  3. ^ "Railroad Gauge Width". паровоэ ис. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2007.
  4. ^ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (January 1, 2000). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4014-2. Retrieved June 10, 2014. Worst of all, not all city systems were built to the standard American and European gauge of 4'-81⁄2". Pittsburgh and most other Pennsylvania cities used 5'-21⁄2", which became known as the Pennsylvania trolley gauge. Cincinnati used 5'-21⁄2", Philadelphia 5'-21⁄4", Columbus 5'-2", Altoona 5'-3", Louisville and Camden 5'-0", Canton and Pueblo 4'-0", Denver, Tacoma, and Los Angeles 3'-6", Toronto an odd 4'-107⁄8", and Baltimore a vast 5'-41⁄2".