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The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) Municipal Railway (Muni) operates the largest trolley bus fleet of any transit agency in North America. The Muni trolley bus fleet carries more than 236,000 customers each weekday. The trolley buses, also called "trolley coaches" or "trackless trolleys," are rubber-tire vehicles with motors powered by electricity from overhead catenary wires. With no emissions, trolley buses keep San Francisco's skies blue (unless they are foggy) and, as an added benefit, can climb San Francisco's steep slopes easily and quietly.
The first trolley bus service in this country was in Hollywood's Laurel Canyon in 1910. Trolley buses began operating on Staten Island, N.Y., in October 1921, and in Philadelphia in October 1923. San Francisco has had trolley bus service since 1935 and is currently the largest municipal consumer of this technology. The SFMTA continues to be enthusiastic about its benefits, both mechanical and environmental.
Muni's fleet is one of the greenest in the country. In addition to the 331 zeroemission trolley buses, Muni operates hybrids and motor buses with 1999 or newer engines that include PM and NOx exhaust aftertreatment devices (Cleaire Longview devices) and are fueled with 20 percent biodiesel blends. The Muni fleet also includes 151 light...