Urban Transportation

12 Pages 3095 Words

of cities and into outer areas (Guathier 174). This also fostered the concentration of different ethnic groups within separate neighborhoods (Guathier 175). This separation reversed the intermingling that had been taking place during the late 1800's between various economic groups and the different ethnic groups in the cities. Social stratification and sorting of different groups throughout the city was rapidly increased thanks to the streetcar spreading out the cities (Guathier 175).

As cities spread out in the early 1900's, railroads developed interurban and suburban railroad to connect the outlying areas of the city. As the electric streetcars continued to move the people around the cities, the railroads opened up the first suburbs on the outlying areas. Large industrial industries were the first businesses to relocate around the peripheral area of the old city thanks to rail easing the transport of goods (Gauthier 175). Suburbs that were railroad dependent created a beads-on-a-string look. People still had to be close to the train station and small communities began developing around each station (Guathier 175).

he Automobile After the Great Depression the automobile began to be more affordable to the public. Just as the middle-class seemed to go car crazy, the United States found themselves in World War II. The American love for the automobile was put on hold until the 1950's. After the war people were ready for the changes that were to come, however public transportation was not ready for the changes. During the 50's the automobile became common sight in everyone's driveway. Even the television explosion had an impact on public transportation. The thing that finally put public transportation in the back of everyone's mind was the development of the expressway and the interstate system.

The big wigs in Detroit looked to be poised to deliver an affordable product to the U.S. citizens and make automobiles common sight to e...