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.

Rock Bottom

Image Number Neg 79.531.PP8, Hughes Studio Photograph Collection,

Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Maryland Historical Society

But the number streetcar riders continued to decline in the decade. When unemployment increased during the Depression, this further decreased their passengers and United went into bankruptcy in 1933. Despite making changes that Baltimore residents responded to, streetcars were not able to regain their success before the popularity of other forms of transportation.

The Rebound Period

Image Number Neg Z9.1857.PP30, Hughes Studio Photograph Collection,

Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Maryland Historical Society

The streetcar industry was not held under permanently. Although United went into bankruptcy, thanks to new leadership, they were debt free by 1935 and became the Baltimore Transit Company. The importance of streetcars was evident during World War II as the company experienced a major increase in passengers and profits. The operating income for the BTC increased thirty-three percent between 1941 and 1942. By 1945, the income of the BTC was around 1.5 million. Wartime production in Baltimore caused many shortages in products like rubber, gas, and steel all needed to produce and run automobiles. As a result people turned to public transit to travel around the city. Public transit was important during the war because a mass of defense workers moved to Baltimore and needed a stable option for travel. During the war, upwards of 50,000 workers in defense plants used streetcars. Streetcars were the only form of transportation not severely affected by the war that could hold enough people.

Back to Normal

Accession Number P75-54-N1013g, Hughes Company Glass Negatives Collection,

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

Although streetcars were a major success during World War II, they could not maintain this popularity once the war ended. After World War II, it appeared the BTC would be able to sustain its renewed popularity, but this was not the case. The Baltimore Transit Company once again lost customers as their old equipment could not hold up and the cars were once again considered unreliable. The streetcar industry in addition, could not support the increasing number of families moving outside of the city’s interior into suburbs they could not reach, causing automobiles to become a necessity.