Transportation

Transportation. . , A railroad link between Denver and Cheyenne was privately financed in 1869 by Territorial Governor John Evans and other businessmen. In 1870, Greeley was established halfway between the two western boom towns on the Denver Pacific Railway, which in 1880 became part of the Union Pacific line. Rail access was critical to Greeley's success, providing easy travel and rapid transport of produce and livestock. , In the early part of this century, Greeley embraced the rapid change from horse-drawn to motorized transportation. In 1910, resident George Fisk wrote "...automobiles are thick as flies, there being nearly 400 of them." Hitching posts for horses disappeared from downtown in 1915, and livery stables became automobile service stations. Auto dealerships quickly created a "motor row" district along 8th Avenue. , The locally financed Denver and Greeley Railroad Company began service in 1910 as the city's only trolley system. Unfortunately, a disastrous trolley barn fire in 1917 reduced service; while the increased popularity of automobiles doomed the line to bankruptcy by 1922. Greeley was the last city in Colorado to develop a streetcar system and was the first to abandon one. It provided regional and municipal service, and in 1959 Greeley inaugurated the municipally owned and operated bus system which continues to serve residents today. , In 1990, Colorado's rapid population increase has prompted many communities to study light rail options to relieve congestion and pollution. However, this is not a new idea. Linking Denver with northeastern towns by rail was first proposed in 1911.