streetcar

Transport system for use in cities, where wheeled vehicles run along parallel rails. Streetcars are powered either by electric conductor rails below ground or by conductor arms connected to overhead wires. Greater maneuverability is achieved with the trolleybus, similarly powered by conductor arms overhead but without tracks.

Streetcars originated in British collieries in the 18th century, and the earliest passenger system was in New York City, in 1832. They were designed for urban and interurban service and vast networks ran from city to city, especially in the northeastern USA, where they ran more often to small towns than did the railroads. Streetcars were widespread in the USA and Europe from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, after which they were phased out, especially in the USA and the UK, under pressure from the automobile-transport lobby. During the 1990s both streetcars and trolleybuses were being revived in some areas; they are in use again in several European cities. Both vehicles have the advantage of being nonpolluting to the local environment, since they produce no exhaust gases. However, electricity is polluting at the source.