In 1868, the Houston City Railroad began operating mule cars in Houston, on McKinney Ave. But that company ceased operations in 1870. In 1874, the Houston City Street Railway began operating mule cars on Travis St. In 1883, the Bayou City Street Railway began operating on Texas Ave., but later that year that company was merged into the Houston City Street Railway. In 1889, a new Bayou City Street Railway began operating mule cars. And in 1890, that company was merged into the Houston City Street Railway.
In 1891, the first electric streetcars operated in Houston, and the conversion was completed in 1892. In 1896, the Houston City Street Railway was sold to the Houston Electric Railway. And in 1901 was renamed the Houston Electric Co.
In 1914, jitneys began operating in Houston. Jitneys were banned in 1924, when Houston Electric was allowed to introduce its first bus route on Austin St. In 1927, the Bellaire route became the first streetcar route to be converted to buses. And in 1940, the last streetcar routes were converted to buses.
In 1946, the Houston Electric Co. was renamed the Houston Transit Co. In 1951, Stone & Webster sold the Houston Transit Co. to independent ownership. And in 1961, the Houston Transit Co. was sold and renamed Rapid Transit Lines. In 1966, Rapid Transit Lines became a subsidiary of National City Lines. In 1974 the city acquired Rapid Transit Lines, with the system known as HouTran. And in 1979, HouTran was taken over by the newly formed MTA.
Much of Houston's growth and development occurred after buses became accepted as the form of public transportation introduced to newly developing areas. As a result, only a small part of Houston is actually an older urban area, with a history of streetcars.
After World War II, few new local bus routes were created in Houston. Although existing routes were extended into the new growing areas. Effective 1/31/82, the Metropolitan Transit Authority began the first major expansion of local routes since World War II. Routes were simplified, with different branches of many routes assigned completely new numbers. And the addition of crosstown routes began.
Route changes and expansions were made over the following years. And effective 8/16/2015, extensive route changes were made with the completion of light rail extensions, with more feeder routes and crosstown routes.
For most bus routes, dates when the routes were introduced are not available. Former bus route numbers are indicated for selected years in four separate columns. The existence of a route number in that column indicates if that route existed during that era. The 2015 column reflects route numbers for much of the route number history as MTA, prior to the extensive route restructuring effective 8/16/2015.
Over the years, many routes were renamed to better reflect the more important outlying streets used, instead of some of the closer in streets where for example streetcars were originally introduced.
Service on Crosstimbers existed in 1969 as route 49, but did not exist in during the early 1980's.
The actual name of the 1947 route 57, and the former name of the educational institution served, was Houston Negro College. Reflecting an era of segregation and greater political incorrectness.
Bus routes with an introduction date listed as "MTA" were introduced in 1984 or later, exact years unavailable. Only local routes are listed. Not listed are express, park and ride, and certain newer routes numbered above 100 unless they evolved from routes with one or two digit numbers.
Discontinued routes which cannot be related to an existing route, are listed at the beginning.
Route Route Name Streetcar Buses Former Route Numbers
Number (Segment/Former Name) Or New Bus Introduced 1947 1969 1981 1984 2015
Chenevert (disc.) Streetcar 1937 1
Harbor (disc.) New Bus 12
Milby (disc.) New Bus 1930's 63
Webster (disc.) New Bus 10/ 5/24
Textile (disc.) New Bus 1/ /25
Southampton (disc.) New Bus 12/ /25
Plaza Warwick (disc.) New Bus 8/ /26
Temple Terrace (disc.) New Bus 4/ /28
Leeland (disc.) Streetcar 10/31/36 3 35 35 35
2 Bellaire Streetcar 9/26/27 66 66 66 2 2
3 Langley Pioneer 4 10 10 3 3
(Kashmere) Pioneer 1 10 10 5 5
(Settegast) Pioneer 14 80 80 80 5
4 Beechnut New Bus 88 88 4 4
5 Southmore (Riverside) New Bus 1/ /26 75 77 77 77 5
(Lockwood-Scott) (disc.) New Bus 1930's 14
6 Jensen-Greens Streetcar 1939 10 10 10 6 6
(Humble) Pioneer 5 10 10 6 6
7 West Airport New Bus MTA 163
8 West Belfort New Bus MTA 8
9 Gulfton New Bus 64 64 9
9 Holman (Dowling) Streetcar 11/19/36 41 80 80 80 80
10 Willowbend New Bus 10 8 10
11 Almeda New Bus 84 22 22 22 11
(Austin) (disc.) New Bus 4/ 1/24 61 22 22
11 Lyons Streetcar 9/ 6/31 8 80 80 80 80
14 Hiram Clarke New Bus 14 14 14 14
(South Main) Streetcar 1939 10 10 10 8 8
(Watson) (disc.) Streetcar 12/ /39 29 44 44 89
Fulton (disc.) New Bus 12 15 15 15
20 Canal New Bus 1930's 27 20 20 20 20
(Port Houston) Streetcar 1936 27 20 20 20 20
20 Memorial New Bus 17 17 17 6
23 Clay-West 43rd St. New Bus MTA 50
Northline (Woodland) (disc.) Streetcar 10/31/36 24 25 25 25 24
25 Richmond New Bus 1930's 15 25 25 25
26 Long Point Pioneer 12 48 48 48 20
26 Cavalcade New Bus MTA 26
Outer Loop Crosstown (disc.) New Bus 1930's 68 26 26 26 26
Inner Loop Crosstown (disc.) New Bus 68 26 26 26 27
27 Shepherd New Bus 56 26 26 26 26
28 OST-Wayside New Bus 35 26 26 26 26
29 Cullen (Calhoun) Streetcar 6/ 9/40 21 30 30 30 30
(Houston University) New Bus 9 30 30 30 30
(Foster Place) New Bus 1930's 78 30 30 30 30
29 Hirsch New Bus MTA 29
(Crosstimbers) New Bus MTA 49 23
30 Clinton New Bus 1930's 4 30 30 30 30
30 Ella (Pecore) New Bus 1926 3 40 40 40 40
(Woodland Heights) Streetcar 1937 3 40 40 40 40
32 Renwick-San Felipe New Bus MTA 32
(West Gray) New Bus 11/ 8/25 62 25 15 15 3
(River Oaks) New Bus 11/ 8/25 72 25 15 15 3
33 Post Oak New Bus 1984 33 33
Fairview (Mandell) (disc.) Streetcar 5/25/40 51 20 35 35
(Welch) New Bus 1926 81 20 35 35 35
36 Kempwood (Washington) Streetcar 1930 47 48 48 24 36
(Cottage Grove) New Bus 1926 48 48 48 24 36
(Kansas) New Bus 52 48 48 24 36
El Sol Crosstown (disc.) New Bus MTA 37
38 Manchester New Bus MTA 38
38 Lawndale New Bus 1930's 82 82 82 82 36
Parker (disc./was 39) New Bus MTA
39 Katy Freeway New Bus MTA
40 Telephone (Park Place) Streetcar 6/ 9/40 31 40 40 40 40
(Kensington) New Bus 32 40 40 40 40
(Winkler) New Bus 33 40 40 40 40
(East End) New Bus 9/14/24 62 40 40 40 40
40 Heights Streetcar 4/27/40 50 50 50 50 50
(Heights Shuttle) Streetcar 1928 44 50 50 50 50
(West Heights) New Bus 1930's 45 50 50 50 50
(North Shepherd) New Bus 46 50 50 50 50
41 Kirby-Polk New Bus 1983 53 18
(West Dallas) (Taft) New Bus 80 75 75 75 18
(San Felipe) (disc.) Streetcar 11/19/36 41
(Exposition) (disc.) New Bus 1930's 63
44 Acres Homes (Studewood) Acres Homes 44 44 44 44
(North Main) Acres Homes 44 44 44 9
45 Tidwell New Bus MTA 45
46 Gessner New Bus 1983 46 46
47 Hillcroft New Bus MTA 47
48 Market (Nance) Streetcar 12/ /39 11 11 11 11 11
(Denver) New Bus 16 11 11 11 11
Navigation (disc.) New Bus 48 48 48 48 48
(Clinton-McCarty) New Bus 34 48 48 48 48
49 Chimney Rock-South Post Oak New Bus MTA 49
50 Broadway New Bus 83 82 82 82 36
(Harrisburg) Streetcar 1928 67 50 50 50 50
(Manchester-Park Place) New Bus 1930's 65 50 50 50 50
(Garden Villas) (disc.) Pioneer 9 41 41 41
51 Hardy New Bus 1930's 6 60 60 60
51 Kelley (Hospital) New Bus 10 1 1
(Trinity) (disc.) Pioneer 10 60 60 60
52 Hardy-Ley (Hirsch) Pioneer 2 10 10 9 52
54 Scott Pioneer 15 80 80 80 52
56 Airline New Bus 1930's 21 25 25 25 56
(Studewood) Streetcar 1939 28 44 44 44 66
56 Montrose Streetcar 3/13/37 23 ? 65 70 34
58 Hammerly Pioneer 12 48 48 58 58
59 Aldine Mail Pioneer 7 25 25 25 59
60 Cambridge (South MacGregor) Streetcar 1938 76 60 60 60 60
63 Fonderen New Bus MTA 163
64 Lincoln City New Bus 44 44 44 64
65 Bissonnet New Bus 14 65 65 65 65
66 Quitman New Bus MTA
67 Dairy Ashford New Bus MTA 67
68 Braeswood (Brays Bayou) New Bus 67 68 68 68
70 Memorial Pioneer 16 16 16 16 70
71 Cottage Grove Pioneer 16 16 16 16 71
72 Westview New Bus MTA 72
73 Bellfort New Bus 1984 73 73
75 Eldridge New Bus MTA 75
76 Evergreen New Bus 1930's 82 82 82 82 36
77 Homestead (Liberty) New Bus 1926 5 77 77 77 77
78 Wayside (Lakewood) Pioneer 6 77 77 77 77
Alabama (disc.) New Bus 73 15 78 78 78
79 West Little York New Bus MTA 79
(Irvington) New Bus 4 66 66 78 78
80 Martin Luther King New Bus 1/31/82 77 77 77 77 77
80 Lockwood New Bus 1930's 42 42 42 42 42
(Waugh) New Bus 1930's 43 42 42 42 42
(St. Bernard) New Bus 53 42 42 42 42
(Texas Southern University) New Bus 57 42 42 42 42
Westheimer/Sharpstown (disc.) New Bus MTA 81
82 Westheimer New Bus 1930's 82 82 82 82 82
83 Lee Road-JFK New Bus MTA 83
84 Buffalo Speedway (University) New Bus 70 70 70 70 73
85 Antoine-Washington New Bus 1983 85 85
86 FM 1960-Imperial Valley New Bus MTA 86
87 Sunnyside New Bus MTA 87
88 Sagemont (Hobby Airport) New Bus MTA 88
89 Dacoma New Bus MTA
96 Veterans Memorial New Bus MTA 108
97 Settegast New Bus MTA 97
98 Briargate New Bus MTA 98
99 Ella-FM 1960 New Bus MTA 86
153 Harwin (Briar Forest) New Bus 1983 53
161 Wilcrest New Bus MTA 19
360 Peerless (South MacGregor) Streetcar 1938 76 60 60 60 60
Pioneer Bus Co.The most significant suburban bus company in the Houston area was the Pioneer Bus Co., formed in 1936. In 1962, the Pioneer Bus Co. was acquired under same ownership as Rapid Transit Lines, but remained operated separately. Although National City Lines acquired Rapid Transit Lines in 1966, National City Lines did not acquire the Pioneer Bus Co. until the following year. At that time, the Pioneer Bus Co. routes were absorbed into the Rapid Transit Lines route structure. Former Pioneer route numbers are indicated.
An additional independent bus company, the Acres Homes Transit Co., was acquired by Rapid Transit Lines/National City Lines in 1968.