History of Public Transportation in the Us

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History of Public Transportation in the United States Public transportation has been a key part of the history of the United States. It affects all aspects of its history (economic, cultural, social, and political). The public transportation system in the U.S. saw a major shift in the way people got around, it went from horse drawn carriage services to rail, and then aircraft travel, before a final shift into the lucrative automobile. The development of mass transportation in the United States can be traced back as far as 1630 with the beginning of ferry and horse cart services in Boston, MA. In the early 1800s, urban stagecoaches were developed in New York City, Boston, Chicago and a number of other larger U.S. cities. Later in the 19th century rail-based, horse or cable drawn systems appeared in many cities. Early in the 20th century, modern subways began to appear, along with motor-powered buses. Also toward the end of the 19th century, private railroads operated trains and public transport for short distances in the city. For the most part the early transportation systems were focused in the larger urban areas. This began to change in the 20th century. Between 1900 and 1940, the percent of the population in urban areas rose nearly 17 percent. Before WWII, however, car ownership was confined to the relatively wealthy, and the highway system was very underdeveloped. Air travel was essentially non-existent. Although the financial health of the private transit systems was slowly deteriorating, the slow pace of the development of competitors permitted them to survive until the end of World War II. At end of World War II the pace of urbanization continued, as the urban population also grew. The end of wartime rationing meant that people could finally afford gasoline and, more importantly, automobiles. This, in combination with the creation of a major
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