1859

Boston's Public Gardens established on 108 acres in Massachusetts

1873

New York City gets its first electrified streetcar, but the system invented by Stephen Field is hazardous and presents no immediate threat to the horsecar.

February 2, 1888

The first successful trolleycar goes into service in Richmond, VA. It was created by Julian Sprague, an assistant to Thomas Edison.

1890

London's first electric underground railway goes into service, and the coke burning locomotives that have operated since 1863 are retired.

1896

The first underground rail service on the European continent established at Budapest, where a 2.5-mile line goes into operation.

September 1, 1897

Boston's Boylston Street subway line between Park Street and Public begins service - the first electric US subway line.

1898

Boston's south station opens to complement North Station, and the last horsecar runs in December. A trolley line replaces the horsecar system as Boston extends its subway.

1900

Trolley lines provide transportation in every major US city, 12 years after the opening of the first trolley line in Virginia.

July 19, 1900

The Metro underground rail service begins in Paris, France.

October 27, 1903

The first widely used subway line opens in New York City. It is called the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) and will become the largest rapid transit service in the world.

1917

Trolleycar ridership reaches 11 billion, with 80,000 streetcars riding on 45,000 miles of track.

November, 1918

New York's worst subway accident kills 97 as a train jumps the track at 35 miles per hour.

1948

NYC transit fares rise from 5 cents to 10, the first raise since 1904.

September 11, 1972

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid transit System (BART) opens, the first new US rapid transit system in more than 50 years.

March 27, 1976

Washington D.C inaugurates it's $5 billion Metro subway