Streetcars, Interurbans and Buses

As useful as steam rail proved, it wasn’t suitable for city streets – it was loud and could startle horses and humans alike. Early streetcars were pulled by horses or mules on rail tracks built into the public roads. The first electric trolley line was an experimental one to get to the Ohio State Fair in 1888. By 1892 all streetcar lines in Columbus were electric. Fares were regulated and uniform across the city. There were many early streetcar companies, which were consolidated under the Columbus Railway, Power, and Light Company in 1913.

Streetcars were popular and effective. The streetcar network was expanded outside of the city with interurbans, which allowed customers to travel to and from suburban areas or other communities near central Ohio. The first local interurban ran from Columbus to Westerville in 1895. Interurban networks spread across the state and began to outcompete passenger rail, as they had more stops and more frequent runs. The popularity of cars put an end to streetcars and interurbans. By the end of World War II, it became cheaper to run trolley-coaches and buses than streetcars. Streetcar service in Columbus ended in 1948. In the late 1960s, as profits faded, the local bus system was owned by the Columbus Transit Company (CTC). COTA, the Central Ohio Transit Authority, was formed in 1971 and purchased the CTC’s private bus system.

Horsecar on High Street

Early streetcars were powered by horse or mule, including this horsecar on High St. in 1888. The first horsecar began service in Columbus on June 10, 1863.

Map of Columbus Railway Company’s Streetcars

This 1900 map from the Columbus Railway company shows their streetcars and interurbans in Columbus at that time. Their eventual successor was the Columbus Railway, Power, and Light Company, which became the Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric Company.

1910 Strike: Dynamited Streetcars

The governor called the Ohio National Guard into Columbus during the 1910 strike against the Columbus Railway and Light Company. Streetcars were met with rocks, derailments, and dynamite from striking workers, who said they faced 15-hour shifts and unjust firings.

Greyhound Bus Terminal

Greyhound Lines have been in Columbus since around 1928, when the earliest buses were heated with hot water. The terminal at 111 E. Town St. is shown in the 1980s.

COTA Bus on S. High Street

The original orange buses purchased from the Columbus Transit Company by COTA in late 1973 are shown here in 1976, in COTA’s third year of service.

Columbus Monorail

A Columbus monorail that would connect downtown, Central High School (now COSI) and possibly the Ohio State Fairgrounds was proposed in 1987. The proposal failed and the monorail was never built.