A BRIEF HISTORY OF METRO:

METRO RTA has a rich and detailed history in Summit County dating back to the 1800s.

Akron was a one-light crossroad and worlds apart from the city we know today. Likewise, its public transportation was a mere shadow of things to come.

Akron's first public transit system started in the 1850s. Several mule-drawn carts were the pride of its fleet.

In 1882, transit was expanding and horse-drawn cars were operating on Howard and Market Streets all the way to Case Avenue. The fleet of three, twelve-passenger cars ran on light rails mounted to ties running over Akron's muddy streets.

Electrified trolley cars replaced the animal-drawn cars in 1888, bring us truly into the modern world of transportation.

In 1899, the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company started operations. Two years later, it was operating more than 80 miles of tracks.

By 1910, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was also operating its own bus fleet, which included Akron's first double-decker bus.

Jitneys, gasoline-powered touring sedans, were yet another mode of transportation. 213 Jitneys operated more than 15 routes in the Akron area by 1921.

The Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company met its competition head-on, by purchasing Goodyear's fleet of buses and that of several Jitney operators in 1922 and by expanding bus routes. The bus fleet grew to 25 by the end of that year.

Two years later, the fleet included 125 street car trolleys and 25 buses. At that time the company requested a fare increase from five cents to seven cents.

Next, came the first stoppage of transit services. The franchise license for the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company had expired. The City finally granted the transit system a one-cent transfer charge and the transit system was able to remain in business.

Street cars on fixed rails were the backbone of Akron's transit system. A conductor and a motorman operated each street car until 1925, when the cars were converted to a one-man operation.

Other changes were soon to follow. In 1926, two six-wheel double-decker buses were introduced, only to be cut down to a single level after a trial period. The company then built its own foot-operated, treadled, rear-door bus in order to conquer the infamous hills of Akron.

On April 17, 1926 the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company changed its name to the Northern Ohio Power and Light Company. They now saw a continued growth in ridership and purchased 40-passenger twin coaches in 1928. These proved so successful that electric powered units were purchased.

And then, in a less, short-lived change the management of Akron's public transit was assumed by the ATC, the Akron Transportation Company. The new management changed the Mountain Line, which operated in Cuyahoga Falls, from street cars to buses in 1930.

The early thirties also marked a fare increase to ten cents, or four tokens for a quarter and the introduction of a one dollar, weekly pass.

Trackless trolley buses were introduced on the Grant Street line in 1941. The war, however, prevented further expansion of the trolley bus service.;

During this time, with gasoline and tire rationing and no car production, Akron's street cars helped set a transit record by carrying over 50 million passengers.

Still, the last streetcar operated over the Kenmore/Barberton route in 1948. The post-war years brought both the demise of the electric trolley and the rise of the transit industry's most fierce competitor...America's love affair with the automobile.

Low-priced cars, plentiful gas and tires had lured Americans to personal transportation and transit ridership declined sharply. Passenger losses of 10% or more were common each year. Yet, Akron's public transit continued to evolve.

The trackless trolley buses were replaced by diesel buses between 1953-1959, ending the trolley era. Ten-years later, a more prominent era ended suddenly.

On April 1, 1969, when faced with a strike, the Akron Transportation Company closed its doors. Its equipment and properties were sold at public auction and Akron became the largest U.S. city without public transportation.

122 days later, on August 1, 1969, a new contract was negotiated with bus drivers and mechanics, by the newly created Akron Metropolitan Regional Transit Authority (METRO).

Now, METRO had a contract. However, it had no money, no buses and no headquarters. But, area industry representatives and the City provided $50,000 and METRO acquired 50 used buses. Finally, on August 6, 1969, Akron's public transit service was restored.

From 1969 to 1972, the cities of Akron, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls underwrote METRO's operational costs. In 1972, the voters supported METRO by easily passing a one-mill property tax levy to help finance transit operations.

With this revenue base, METRO began constructing much-needed facilities. METRO built 2 storage garages, a service building, a maintenance and administration facility and a service lane between 1972 and 1985.

In 1975, METRO introduced METRO SCAT. Today, using customized vehicles and specially-trained drivers, METRO SCAT transports over 390,000 older-adults and persons with disabilities annually.

METRO realized that it needed more riders and the City of Akron wanted more people downtown, the center of METRO operations. To achieve this mutual goal, METRO obtained a $4.5 million federal grant. The goal was to create a comfortable, pleasing and safe surrounding for bus riders and pedestrians, while improving transit operations and services.

In May of 1991, the Main Street Transitway was completed. The Transitway changed the look of downtown Akron. It offered extensive landscaping; wider-bricked sidewalks; new crosswalks; improved bus shelters; special waiting areas for riders and wider curbs for easier accessibility to passengers boarding buses.

As METRO saw the need to expand, it also knew it needed a dedicated source of funding. In November of 1990, Summit County voters passed a quarter percent sales tax supporting METRO.

It was with this dedicated sales tax that METRO was able to expand its services throughout Summit County. The tax levy ensured METRO's financial stability, allowing METRO to concentrate on servicing its customers now and into the future.