Back in the day the USA used to be a superpower.
Nearly every community was linked by interurbans and railroads, many of which operated at higher speed than some of today's modern highways.
Then the automobile came along, and people desired convenience.
The automobile required billions and billions of square miles of pavement to be deployed everywhere. It was a huge economic boom, and created millions of jobs and businesses.
The jobs required to upkeep all that pavement became a big part of the economy. Not to mention the secondary economies generated by automobile repair, insurance, etc.
But now we are realizing how expensive all that pavement is. And it's a huuuuuuge chunk of our economy. The maintenance and upkeep budget is far higher than the budget for new infrastructure.
Are cars really worth their huge hidden price tag?
Convenience killed sustainability. But the railroads are dead, and it's too late to go back.
Slashdot Mirror
Back in the day the USA used to be a superpower. Nearly every community was linked by interurbans and railroads, many of which operated at higher speed than some of today's modern highways. Then the automobile came along, and people desired convenience. The automobile required billions and billions of square miles of pavement to be deployed everywhere. It was a huge economic boom, and created millions of jobs and businesses. The jobs required to upkeep all that pavement became a big part of the economy. Not to mention the secondary economies generated by automobile repair, insurance, etc. But now we are realizing how expensive all that pavement is. And it's a huuuuuuge chunk of our economy. The maintenance and upkeep budget is far higher than the budget for new infrastructure. Are cars really worth their huge hidden price tag? Convenience killed sustainability. But the railroads are dead, and it's too late to go back.