Do trolleys still run in Pittsburgh?

In one sense, though, the trolleys have never stopped running in Pittsburgh. Today, the T runs alongside the right-of-way once used by Pittsburgh's streetcars and interurban trolleys. There's talk of extending that rail service to the North Side, and from there someday all the way out to Carnegie and beyond.



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On July 6, 1985, streetcars rolled through downtown for the final time.

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Regional Public Transit Ten fixed-route public transportation agencies serve riders in the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission region. Service is provided by bus, light rail, and incline, and most agencies provide commuter service into Downtown Pittsburgh.

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Automobile usage began supplanting the trolley not long after the end of the First World War. Some routes were so unprofitable that they were abandoned in the 1920s, reports Touring Pittsburgh by Trolley, a nostalgic look at trolley service.

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What really killed the streetcar: gridlock and artificially low fares. The decline of the streetcar after World War I — when cars began to arrive on city streets — is often cast as a simple choice made by consumers. As a Smithsonian exhibition puts it, Americans chose another alternative — the automobile.

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The Downtown Pittsburgh area is the most walkable section of the city with a Walk Score of 94.

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Within Downtown Pittsburgh, Port Authority operates a free-fare T zone. The zone includes the following stations: First Avenue Station, Steel Plaza, Wood Street Station, and Gateway; North Side Station and Allegheny Station.

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They were very popular, privately owned or owned by the power company, and made money. Once cars became popular in the early 20th century, streetcars couldn't compete, lost money, and weren't updated.

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San Francisco's transit system, known as Muni, owns and operates a unique collection of vintage streetcars along the City's main thoroughfare, Market Street, and its northeastern waterfront. Streetcars, known in other places as trolleys or trams, are different than cable cars, but both are fun to ride.

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LISTEN: Unearthing London's transportation history introduced the horse-drawn trolleys in 1875. Two decades later, the system was converted to electric streetcars.

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The real problem was that once cars appeared on the road, they could drive on streetcar tracks — and the streetcars could no longer operate efficiently. Once just 10 percent or so of people were driving, the tracks were so crowded that [the streetcars] weren't making their schedules, Norton says.

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However, the demise of the streetcar came when lines were torn out of the major cities by bus manufacturing or oil marketing companies for the specific purpose of replacing rail service with buses. In many cases, postwar buses were cited as providing a smoother ride and a faster journey than the older, pre-war trams.

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Free rides to North Shore stations are provided thanks to sponsorship agreements with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rivers Casino, ALCO Parking and the Stadium Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. For bus riders, fares are free within this zone from start of service until 7:00 p.m., seven days a week. More info here.

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