The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) in Chattanooga, TN, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its founding this year. But that’s only the latest step in a public transit story dating back to 1875, when the first horse-drawn trolley cars entered service on Market Street from the Tennessee River to what is now Martin Luther King Boulevard.

CARTA commemorated the anniversary with a day of free rides on both its fixed routes and paratransit service. It also invited customers to “Tell us your favorite CARTA story or experience,” with free 31-day bus passes going to the winners.

Chattanooga replaced its horse-drawn trolleys with electric streetcars in 1889. Both streetcars and motor buses remained in operation until 1941, when Southern Coach Lines took control of public transit activities. The last streetcar line was discontinued shortly after the end of World War II. The city purchased the assets of Southern Coach Lines to create CARTA in 1973.

In addition to its buses, CARTA operates the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world; the Downtown Electric Shuttle, which operates a large fleet of electric buses; and CARTA Care-a-van paratransit. It also manages a parking system comprising three parking garages, on-street metered parking, and parking lots.