The Streetcar has Competition

Accession Number P75-54-0062g, Hughes Company Glass Negatives Collection,

Courtesy of the Photography Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The streetcar was used widely by the public until companies began developing new ways for passengers to ride around the city. The first invention to take riders from the streetcar was the “jitney,” a truck/car that began operation in 1915. This car was not very profitable, but was the first competitor to expose the vulnerability of the streetcar industry.