Public transport in Lviv in the years 1879–1914. On the issue of developing modern urban infrastructure in Galicia

Abstract

The text discusses the circumstances of development and use of urban public transport in Lviv. The issue is presented against a broader context of the social and economic policy of the municipal self-government and the conditions in which various infrastructural projects were implemented in Galicia. In 1879, the city issued a permit for the creation of a horse-drawn tram network to the Trieste Tramway Society (Società Triestina Tramway). The investor, however, was reluctant to further develop the original routes. Therefore, the self-government decided to commission the construction of electric tramway to the company Siemens & Halske. The project proved so successful that the city eventually decided to buy the tramway and operate it on its own. Despite competition from omnibus and horse-drawn tram services, the electric tramway became the most popular means of public transport in Lviv after the expansion of the network in the years 1906–1910. The use of electricity as a source of power proved that Galicia did not lag behind other large cities of the monarchy in terms of innovation and adoption of cutting-edge infrastructural solutions.