1811: The first steam-powered ferryboat began carrying passengers in New York.
1830: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad began operating, becoming one of the first major railroads in the United States.
1832: Horse-drawn streetcars began carrying passengers in New York City.
1873: The first successful cable car began operating in San Francisco.
1888: A successful electric streetcar system began operating in Richmond, Virginia.
1897: The first subway in the United States opened in Boston.
1904: The New York City subway opened.
1905: Gas-powered buses began carrying passengers in New York City.
1940: For the first time, more people in the United States rode buses than streetcars.
1971: Amtrak began providing passenger train service between cities across the United States.
1972: The Bay Area Rapid Transit system, known as BART, began carrying passengers in the San Francisco area.
1977: A city bus with a wheelchair lift began regular service in San Diego, helping make public transportation more accessible.
1990: The Americans with Disabilities Act required public transportation systems to provide accessible services for people with disabilities.
