Not exactly subways, but indeed many cities had streetcars which were then gutted for car/oil profits.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_

Not exactly subways, but indeed many cities had streetcars which were then gutted for car/oil profits.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_consp... I think it likely if the streetcars had grown, they probably would have been converted into subways, etc. and more extensive public transit generally.. although postwar prosperity probably helped as well (whereas europe had to rebuild)