From Profitability to Public Service: the Changing Purpose of Public Transportation in Reno-Sparks from 1904-1990

Abstract

This study addresses the development of public transportation in Reno and Sparks, Nevada between 1904 and 1990. Privately owned streetcar service began operations in 1904 but went out of business and ended service in 1927. The Nevada Transit Company (NTC) began to operate the intercity Reno-Sparks bus line in 1927. After a fourteen year gap with no local transit service, Reno Bus Lines began to provide bus service in the City of Reno on a for-profit basis in 1941. Privately operated transit service ceased to be profitable during the 1960s and, overburdened with debt, ended on September 17, 1978. On September 19, 1978 the Regional Transit Commission of Washoe County began operation of publicly owned bus service. This study addresses the national and local trends related to transit's impact on development patterns, financial performance of transit service providers, transit vehicle technology, and public investment in transit service.