Trolleybuses in Dayton
| Dayton trolleybus system | |
|---|---|
| Operation | |
| Locale | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Open | April 23, 1933 |
| Operator(s) | 1933–72: Various private companies (see table in article); 1972–present: Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority |
| Infrastructure | |
| Electrification | Parallel overhead lines, 600 V DC |
| Stock | 45 Gillig Low Floor |
| Statistics | |
| Annual ridership | 1,884,700 (2024) |
| Website | http://www.i-riderta.org i-riderta.org |
The Dayton trolleybus system forms part of the public transportation network serving Dayton, in the state of Ohio, United States. Opened on April 23, 1933, it presently comprises five lines, and is operated by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority, with a fleet of 45 trolleybuses. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 1,884,700, or about 5,300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.
One of only five such systems still operating in the U.S. in the 2000s (and one of only four after the summer 2023 closure of the Boston system) and the only one in a city without a subway, light rail, or streetcar system, the Dayton trolleybus system is the current manifestation of an electric transit service that has been operated continuously in Dayton since 1888—longer than in any other city in the United States. By the 1970s, Dayton was already the smallest U.S. city still operating a trolleybus system. For both of these reasons, the city's trolleybuses are locally considered an icon of Dayton.