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It’s a classical conspiracy theory. There are truths interspersed with assumptions and fabrications sustained by a fantastical desire -in this case halcyon of
by mc32 4y ago
It’s a classical conspiracy theory. There are truths interspersed with assumptions and fabrications sustained by a fantastical desire -in this case halcyon of dependable public transit everywhere which was razed by greedy bus manufacturing companies in cahoots with petrochemical companies.
When in reality it’s closer to the story of the ferries that ferried cars across the bay before the bridges were built. Or the story of railroads before the interstate system displaced nearly all interstate passenger rail.
- twobitshifter 4y agoInteresting that you mentioned the decline of ferries. Streetcar systems depended on ferries to bring riders their way. If you are making a trip by ferry you’ll need a way to get around when you get off on the other shore. The Atlantic Avenue line in Boston is a good example of a ferry dependent line. Once they opened the East Boston and Sumner tunnels and people could drive through the Bay, taking the train became much less attractive.
- NoToP 4y agoThe interstate system was a massive subsidy to cars and car dependant lifestyles. To compare it to tech disruption like what happened to ferries makes the death of interstate passenger rail seem natural. In reality, no industry could survive their competitor being so heavily subsidized. If we threw that amount of money at high speed rail, we could probably choke out a good portion of the airline and car industry combined.