the theory I've always heard about why so many street railway systems closed in the 50's and 60's was related to maintenance deferral as a result of ww2 leading to may systems having huge maintenance backlogs so that when transit was passed into public ownership the improvements to diesel busses that could use the same road infastructure as cars meant those were easier to justify. And while this is almost certainly not the main factor it combined with other things mentioned in both the article and other comments had to have played a part.
As a Boston resident, I am reminded of the fact that our streetcar network survived (as the green line) in exactly the places where it has its own right of way. There is only one exception, and it's for a few blocks to serve a VA hospital. Even though the green line is slow and gets stuck at traffic lights, the ability to jump the queue was useful enough for it to survive.
Good points. Other factors that helped kill old transit systems included (1) privately-owned rail systems were taxed, while the ever-improving highways were free, and (2) housing and businesses spread out with the advent of automobiles, making transit lines less convenient.
Thank you for this article! I constantly see this kind of unhelpful nostalgia for the past. I wish this were a free article so I could send it to people I see engaging in that.
As badly as I want to see streetcar service on Portland's Springwater Corridor Trail, I recognize that it might not be as useful as a lot of other potential transit investments
the theory I've always heard about why so many street railway systems closed in the 50's and 60's was related to maintenance deferral as a result of ww2 leading to may systems having huge maintenance backlogs so that when transit was passed into public ownership the improvements to diesel busses that could use the same road infastructure as cars meant those were easier to justify. And while this is almost certainly not the main factor it combined with other things mentioned in both the article and other comments had to have played a part.
Yep I think that was a factor, but in some ways that makes sense since the systems were not well set up for the future!
As a Boston resident, I am reminded of the fact that our streetcar network survived (as the green line) in exactly the places where it has its own right of way. There is only one exception, and it's for a few blocks to serve a VA hospital. Even though the green line is slow and gets stuck at traffic lights, the ability to jump the queue was useful enough for it to survive.
Good points. Other factors that helped kill old transit systems included (1) privately-owned rail systems were taxed, while the ever-improving highways were free, and (2) housing and businesses spread out with the advent of automobiles, making transit lines less convenient.
Well, transit failed to keep up with suburbanization
Thank you for this article! I constantly see this kind of unhelpful nostalgia for the past. I wish this were a free article so I could send it to people I see engaging in that.
I thought about making it free but sadly this is kind of controversial!
The fact that it's controversial is exactly why I wish it were free 😉
As badly as I want to see streetcar service on Portland's Springwater Corridor Trail, I recognize that it might not be as useful as a lot of other potential transit investments