Placing the onus of the death of public transit in the US on the General Motors streetcar conspiracy fails to look at other economic aspects of the end of stree

Placing the onus of the death of public transit in the US on the General Motors streetcar conspiracy fails to look at other economic aspects of the end of streetcars. * Streetcar companies were the loss leaders for real estate developers. * The Great Depression and WW2 caused deferred maintenance that undercapitalized transit companies could not afford after the real estate had been sold. * Municipalities regulated fares, with voters regularly voting down measures to increase fares. At the time, transit agencies had to generate revenue almost entirely from fares. * Transit companies had to pay recurring franchise fees for each mile of track, while bus companies didn't pay such a fee. * With the increase in auto traffic slowing down streetcars, busses had more maneuverability in heavier auto traffic.