TRANSIT SYSTEMS IN ILLINOIS

CHICAGO AREA

Chicago Transit & Railfan Web Site

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Chicago

CITY TRANSIT HISTORY
1859-1914 - several companies
1914-1947 - Chicago Surface Lines
1958 - streetcars discontinued
1930-1973 - operated trolleybuses

CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEMS
Chicago Transit Authority
Serves city only

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (NORTH SHORE)
Prior to 1974 - Glenview Bus Co.
1974-1995 - Village of Wilmette

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (NORTHWEST)
Prior to 1975 - United Motor Coach Co.
1975-1991 - North Suburban Mass Transit District

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (WEST)
1889-1913 - several companies
1913-1956 - Chicago & West Towns Railway Co.
1948 - streetcars discontinued
1956-1981 - West Towns Bus Co.

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (SOUTH)
1893-1898 - several companies
1898-1904 - Chicago Electric Traction Co.
1904-1911 - Chicago and Southern Traction Co.
1911-1927 - Chicago and Interurban Traction Co.
1927 - streetcars discontinued
1927-1933 - South Suburban Motor Coach
1933-1983 - South Suburban Safeway Lines

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (SOUTHWEST)
1921-1938 - South West Towns Bus Co.
1938-1983 - Suburban Transit System

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (JOLIET)
1885-1896 - Joliet Street Railway Co.
1896-1898 - Joliet Railway Co.
1898-1901 - Joliet Railroad Co.
1901-1923 - Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway Co. (American Railways Co.)
1923-1924 - Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway Co. (American Electric Power Co.)
1924-1934 - Chicago & Joliet Electric Railway Co. (Middle West Utilities Co.)
1934 - streetcars discontinued
1934-1936 - Joliet City Lines
1936-1970 - Joliet City Lines (National City Lines)
1970-1990 - Joliet Mass Transit District

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (AURORA)
1882-1890 - Aurora City Railway Co.
1890-1901 - Aurora Street Railway Co.
1901-1906 - Elgin Aurora and Southern Traction Co.
1906-1924 - Aurora Elgin & Chicago Railroad Co.
1924-1933 - Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Co. (Western United Gas & Electric Co.)
1933-1936 - Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Co. (Commonwealth Edison Co.)
1934 - streetcars discontinued
1936-1940 - Aurora-Elgin City Lines
1940-1966 - Aurora City Lines (National City Lines)
1966-1968 - Aurora City Lines (new owners)
1968-1971 - Tom-A-Hawk Transit
1971-1989 - Aurora Transit System (city owned)

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (ELGIN)
1876-1889 - Bruce Rogers 1889-1890 - Elgin City Railway Co.
1890-1897 - Elgin City Street Railway Co.
1897-1901 - Elgin City, Carpentersville and Aurora Railway Co.
1901-1906 - Elgin Aurora and Southern Traction Co.
1906-1924 - Aurora Elgin & Chicago Railroad Co.
1924-1933 - Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Co. (Western United Gas & Electric Co.)
1933-1936 - Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Co. (Commonwealth Edison Co.)
1934 - streetcars discontinued
1936-1940 - Aurora-Elgin City Lines
1940-1966 - Elgin City Lines (National City Lines)
1966-1968 - Elgin City Lines (new owners)
1968-1991 - Elgin Department of Transportation

SUBURBAN TRANSIT HISTORY (WAUKEGAN)
1891-1894 - Waukegan & North Shore Rapid Transit Co.
1894-1897 - Bluff City Electric Street Railway Co.
1897-1902 - Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railway Co.
1902-1916 - Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railroad Co.
1916-1947 - Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad
1947 - streetcars discontinued
1947-1963 - Waukegan-North Chicago Transit Co. (CNS&M Ry)
1963-1982 - Waukegan-North Chicago Transit Co.

CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEMS
Pace
Serves suburban Cook, Du Page, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will Counties
(fixed route systems interconnect)
Commuter rail service
Metra

New additional metropolitan counties:
Connecting rural system
Grundy County - GREAT
Rural systems
De Kalb County (De Kalb) - city/campus service only - Huskie Line
Kendall County - no regional transit service

OUTLYING TRANSIT HISTORY (DE KALB)
1902-1913 - De Kalb Sycamore & Interurban Traction Co.
1913-1924 - De Kalb Sycamore & Interurban Traction Co. (Commonwealth Power Co.)
1924 - streetcars/interurbans discontinued
Private bus co. in 1952 - De Kalb County Bus Lines


Kankakee

CITY TRANSIT HISTORY
1891-1931 - Kankakee Electric Railway Co.
1931 - streetcars discontinued
1931-1960 - Kankakee Motor Coach Co.
1960-1999 - no transit service

CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEMS
Kankakee River Valley Mass Transit District
Serves city and nearby suburbs only
Outlying Kankakee County - SHOW Bus


Fixed route systems connect Kankakee with the Chicago area


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