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But the horse-drawn streetcars would have been replaced by streetcars (which in turn were partially replaced by subways) anyway. Most horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by electric streetcars. Automobiles replaced horse and carriages not horse-drawn streetcars. Here are some images of New York City in 1920:
But the horse-drawn streetcars would have been replaced by streetcars (which in turn were partially replaced by subways) anyway. Most horse-drawn streetcars were replaced by electric streetcars. Automobiles replaced horse and carriages not horse-drawn streetcars. Here are some images of New York City in 1920:
My mom grew up on a farm. She and her sibs walked, not biked, ~ 1/2 mile to "country school" in the late 1920s-30s. In high school, they had a bus. They only lived a few miles from "town", but again, they walked, not biked to get there. By the time my aunt, the youngest was in HS, they had a car.
I know, but I wanted add some more on 1920s cities and transportation.
Quote:
My mom grew up on a farm. She and her sibs walked, not biked, ~ 1/2 mile to "country school" in the late 1920s-30s. In high school, they had a bus. They only lived a few miles from "town", but again, they walked, not biked to get there. By the time my aunt, the youngest was in HS, they had a car.
Transportation in rural areas was rather different than transportation in urban areas so may not be comparable. Though if you look at the New York link I posted, there were no bicycles in the view but plenty of foot and other wheeled traffic. The same street (Broadway) now has a bike lane and dropping a streetview figure at random, I found a bicyclist:
I know, but I wanted add some more on 1920s cities and transportation.
Transportation in rural areas was rather different than transportation in urban areas so may not be comparable. Though if you look at the New York link I posted, there were no bicycles in the view but plenty of foot and other wheeled traffic. The same street (Broadway) now has a bike lane and dropping a streetview figure at random, I found a bicyclist:
It looks like most of the buildings in the view would have been there in 1920, the view probably hasn't changed much.
Which kind of disproves the point that the major form of "on-demand" transportation was the bicycle. I have a feeling the major "on-demand" source was the old "shoe leather express".
Since transit use was much higher, transit frequency could be higher, leading to frequencies that feel nearly "on demand".
However one of the problems with early transit is its privatization. Basically there is more transit, but not efficiently laid out---i.e. Routes competing with each other.
In Chicago when the CTA took over in the 40ies they closed a lot of stations and got rid of lines to rationalize the system(i.e. Private transit had a lot of overlap and the EL which was supposed to be rapid transit was hardly faster than the street cars). They also modernized the fleet to all metal cars. In Chicago the lake street el has much faster times today than in the past due to fewer stations..the rationalization changed it’s run from 35 mins to 24.
In addition modern expressways opened up space to allow rapid transit to go places it didn’t go in the 20ies. The Dan Ryan and Part of the O’hare line that heads to the airport. A side effect of that privtization in Chicago is the fact that certian lines are very close to each other(Green line is near Blue line(which the Congress part is a replacement of an elevated train) and both not that far away from the Pink line on the west side.
Also it didn't cover the whole city. The Red line(Dan Ryan built to handle the high demand on the south side main line and go further south----a job it did too well). Even today the El does not reach the south boarder of Chicago. The Midway likewise built recently.
Which kind of disproves the point that the major form of "on-demand" transportation was the bicycle. I have a feeling the major "on-demand" source was the old "shoe leather express".
Yeap. The US at one time had more street cars than any other place in the world. The bicycle might have been more useful elsewhere but I suspect in major cities(as today) most people used the bus/street car and walked to their desitntion.
Yeap. The US at one time had more street cars than any other place in the world. The bicycle might have been more useful elsewhere but I suspect in major cities(as today) most people used the bus/street car and walked to their desitntion.
Maybe true in the US not true in some spots in Europe:
In Copenhagen the popularity of the bike evolved, especially through the 1920’ties and 1930’ties. In the streets of Copenhagen you would find Copenhageners from all social classes biking side by side. The middleclass mother rode her bike home from the grocery store, the wealthy bank Director took his bike on his way to work and the young craftsman transported his goods by bike.
In Copenhagen the popularity of the bike evolved, especially through the 1920’ties and 1930’ties. In the streets of Copenhagen you would find Copenhageners from all social classes biking side by side. The middleclass mother rode her bike home from the grocery store, the wealthy bank Director took his bike on his way to work and the young craftsman transported his goods by bike.
This still happens, actually. MPs will ride their bicycles to Parliament, even.
Which kind of disproves the point that the major form of "on-demand" transportation was the bicycle. I have a feeling the major "on-demand" source was the old "shoe leather express".
first of all in #152 I was A. Not specifically referring to NYC B. Was referring the decades PRIOR to the commercialization of the automobile, not to the 1920s C. speaking of the fastest growing, not the "major form"
As for street cars, the electric street car was invented in the 1880s, IIUC, and replaced horse drawn street cars from 1890 on ward.
had the automobile not been invented, its likely that the horse manure problem in the largest cities could have been addressed with street car electrification, bicycles, etc.
I will note that superfreakonimics has often been in error on a range of topics.
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