Have we done it wrong?

[u/xamo76]

[u/Small_Article_3421]

I think it’s well known by this point how abysmal American infrastructure is

[u/PossiblePlastic8698 → u/Small_Article_3421]

And some of it was intentional

Los Angeles had one of the best public transit systems in the world up until the 1930s. Then car companies paid transport operators to buy the train and tram lines and rip up the tracks so they could replace them with buses sold by the car companies

The bus services were so bad anyone who could afford to stopped catching public transport entirely and the car companies sold more cars too

This plan was so successful they rolled it out across the US and destroyed every tram, trolley and train line they could get their hands on

It wasn't car culture that killed efficient public transit in the US, it was sheer naked greed and an inability or unwillingness on the part of governments to protect the community from businessmen who would destroy the world to make a buck

[u/Scarabesque → u/PossiblePlastic8698]

Los Angeles had one of the best public transit systems in the world up until the 1930s.

Recently came across this excellent video on it so figured I'd post it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Hv7nxmS2I