Routes of Street Cars, Buses and Trackless Trolleys of the Baltimore Transit Company

Wartime transportation overview of Baltimore, Maryland.

The Baltimore Transit Company was a privately owned entity that facilitated the majority of the city’s public transportation until it was acquired by National City Lines in 1948. The robust system seen on this map was at its zenith during World War II. Workers came to the area in droves as a result of rapid industrialization fueled by the military, and the image was published “to Assist New Riders on the Cars and Busses.”

Trains are omitted from the sub-heading, but are included within the image and were immensely popular. However, subsequent ownership would ultimately phase out rail traffic in favor of bus routes (also pictured in extensive use). This process, known as the Great American Streetcar Scandal, was a nationwide attempt by General Motors to dismantle streetcar transit systems in favor of surface routes operated by buses.