I don't think it's crazy to suggest that roads and the standard of living in some places could decline to the point that it becomes more common to use currently

I don't think it's crazy to suggest that roads and the standard of living in some places could decline to the point that it becomes more common to use currently-outmoded methods to transport goods over land. What if the future sees: - Oil production decline to the point of significant scarcity - 20000km supply chains falling out of the profitability zone - Under-funded municipalities on the edges of civilization not able to maintain their roads. Some parts of the United States are already starting to un-pave their roads: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2016/7/26/the-un-paving-of-american-roads https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2016/7/26/the-un-paving-... - Large-scale decline in standard of living ...Et cetera. Given enough neglect and time, everything we have built will crumble. When "developed" places fail, they will start to look more like "developing" places. Dirt roads, bicycles, working animals, reduced conspicuous consumption, and maybe even wheelbarrows as a seriously-considered form of transportation - all of it could return in the long-term.