Difference between revisions of "325--2011--Week 9 Questions/Comments"
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| + | '''''Did streetcars ever have a real chance of success?''''' | ||
It is interesting to note that when Nye discusses the reason for the streetcar's demise, he states that a major reason is the consolidation of the companies. The consolidation raises rates, because there is no competition. This is also the reason for the lessening amounts of investment. In these suburbs and cities, they are the only provider. Therefore, in order to increase revenues, they will lower the cost of production/investment. ~~Kyle Allwine | It is interesting to note that when Nye discusses the reason for the streetcar's demise, he states that a major reason is the consolidation of the companies. The consolidation raises rates, because there is no competition. This is also the reason for the lessening amounts of investment. In these suburbs and cities, they are the only provider. Therefore, in order to increase revenues, they will lower the cost of production/investment. ~~Kyle Allwine | ||
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When discussing the social outcomes of the streetcars, Nye states "its tracks pushed through the existing social fabric, pulling apart the urban structure..." The automobile will do this as well and to a much greater degree. It will be possible for suburbs to be farther and farther away pushing the classes farther apart. Eventually, the taxes are so low and the revenues are so low for the streetcars that public transportation becomes unbearable. The automobile helped push the streetcar out of the cities, while pulling apart the classes of people. ~~Kyle Allwine | When discussing the social outcomes of the streetcars, Nye states "its tracks pushed through the existing social fabric, pulling apart the urban structure..." The automobile will do this as well and to a much greater degree. It will be possible for suburbs to be farther and farther away pushing the classes farther apart. Eventually, the taxes are so low and the revenues are so low for the streetcars that public transportation becomes unbearable. The automobile helped push the streetcar out of the cities, while pulling apart the classes of people. ~~Kyle Allwine | ||
| − | "Later, when street congestion worsened, such reasoning led to the idea that since automobiles were fast and speeded up traffic flow, the slower trolley cars must be responsible for traffic jams." Apparently, there must be a lot of trolley cars in the area that we are unaware of. Wasn't there talk in recent years of Washington DC bringing back a form of a Trolly/street Car system? - Matthew Beere | + | '''"Later, when street congestion worsened, such reasoning led to the idea that since automobiles were fast and speeded up traffic flow, the slower trolley cars must be responsible for traffic jams." Apparently, there must be a lot of trolley cars in the area that we are unaware of.''' Wasn't there talk in recent years of Washington DC bringing back a form of a Trolly/street Car system? - Matthew Beere |
| − | Nye discusses how the automobile differed from public transportation like the subway, in terms of separating the different social classes. Nye goes into further detail, discussing how by the 1920’s, the type of transportation you chose revealed a lot about your social standing and your position in society. Have things really changed today? The type of car one drives still serves as a strong symbol of social status, and public transportation isn’t exactly considered a luxury. However, it isn’t as if all poor people only use public transportation and all rich people only drive expensive luxury cars. I had never actually experienced any real form of public transportation (besides school buses and airplanes) until I visited New York City when I was sixteen years old; it was an eye-opening experience. I learned that the subway is actually incredibly diverse. I saw men and women in expensive business suits, people whom looked like they were blue-collar workers, and people whom looked homeless. However, I still feel that to this day, the way in which one travels to their job or anywhere else in their life is very indicative of their social status. For instance, if I were raised in a very wealthy family in Washington, D.C., would I really feel the need to ride the bus around the city in order to get to the places that I needed to go? Or would I simply drive the convertible BMU that my parents got me for my sixteenth birthday? Similar to clothes and the type of home one owns, so many people are concerned with obtaining the most socially impressive automobile in order to maintain a respectable place in society. It is this fact that makes me believe that all in all, things have not really changed much since the 1920’s, in terms of the correlation between social status and the type of automobile one drives. The streetcar’s significance in the early twentieth century extended far beyond being just an innovation in the efficiency of transportation; it served as an entirely new way to establish one’s place in society. ~Kevin Gottschalk | + | '''Nye discusses how the automobile differed from public transportation like the subway, in terms of separating the different social classes. Nye goes into further detail, discussing how by the 1920’s, the type of transportation you chose revealed a lot about your social standing and your position in society. Have things really changed today?''' The type of car one drives still serves as a strong symbol of social status, and public transportation isn’t exactly considered a luxury. However, it isn’t as if all poor people only use public transportation and all rich people only drive expensive luxury cars. I had never actually experienced any real form of public transportation (besides school buses and airplanes) until I visited New York City when I was sixteen years old; it was an eye-opening experience. I learned that the subway is actually incredibly diverse. I saw men and women in expensive business suits, people whom looked like they were blue-collar workers, and people whom looked homeless. However, I still feel that to this day, the way in which one travels to their job or anywhere else in their life is very indicative of their social status. For instance, if I were raised in a very wealthy family in Washington, D.C., would I really feel the need to ride the bus around the city in order to get to the places that I needed to go? Or would I simply drive the convertible BMU that my parents got me for my sixteenth birthday? Similar to clothes and the type of home one owns, so many people are concerned with obtaining the most socially impressive automobile in order to maintain a respectable place in society. It is this fact that makes me believe that all in all, things have not really changed much since the 1920’s, in terms of the correlation between social status and the type of automobile one drives. The streetcar’s significance in the early twentieth century extended far beyond being just an innovation in the efficiency of transportation; it served as an entirely new way to establish one’s place in society. ~Kevin Gottschalk |
I thought that this reading was quite interesting in that there were numerous reasons as to why the streetcar failed, especially with the impact that the automobile had on it. One quote that struck me was, "Later, when street congestion worsened, such reasoning led to the idea that since automobiles were fast and speeded up traffic flow, the slower trolley cars must be responsible for traffic jams" (p 136). Many of the overcrowding streets were constantly being blamed on the streetcars, but even after the cars changed moved away from rail and had rubber wheels? Why did the trolley car continue to fail after improvements were made upon it? -Claire Brooks | I thought that this reading was quite interesting in that there were numerous reasons as to why the streetcar failed, especially with the impact that the automobile had on it. One quote that struck me was, "Later, when street congestion worsened, such reasoning led to the idea that since automobiles were fast and speeded up traffic flow, the slower trolley cars must be responsible for traffic jams" (p 136). Many of the overcrowding streets were constantly being blamed on the streetcars, but even after the cars changed moved away from rail and had rubber wheels? Why did the trolley car continue to fail after improvements were made upon it? -Claire Brooks | ||
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Even though cars were being made, because of the large expenditure of the rails they would have gone out of business anyway. The innovations in streetcar designs were still being made. Were they hoping it would make a comeback? If the innovations made were better, I wonder why they still could not make it!? ---Pam Petzold | Even though cars were being made, because of the large expenditure of the rails they would have gone out of business anyway. The innovations in streetcar designs were still being made. Were they hoping it would make a comeback? If the innovations made were better, I wonder why they still could not make it!? ---Pam Petzold | ||
| − | I think it is interesting the author compares the decline of the streetcar to the automobile to mentioning the decline of other transportation systems, such as the railroads. In my opinion, in no way do I believe railroads are the fastest means or the most efficient way, but I do believe that railroads were much more significant to American history than streetcars. While streetcars had large profits in the earlier years, like the railroad, Americans found more efficient ways of transportation, allowing the first use of major transportation from one city to the next, cutting valuable time to get to the destination. Railroads in America affected very day life; however the streetcar was an invention that only helped improve other American technologies in the future. – Megan Gallagher | + | '''I think it is interesting the author compares the decline of the streetcar to the automobile to mentioning the decline of other transportation systems, such as the railroads. In my opinion, in no way do I believe railroads are the fastest means or the most efficient way, but I do believe that railroads were much more significant to American history than streetcars.''' While streetcars had large profits in the earlier years, like the railroad, Americans found more efficient ways of transportation, allowing the first use of major transportation from one city to the next, cutting valuable time to get to the destination. Railroads in America affected very day life; however the streetcar was an invention that only helped improve other American technologies in the future. – Megan Gallagher |
I feel like due to the size of the United States public transport, such as these streetcars, never stood a chance once automobiles were developed. The wide expanse of the country made the public transport more difficult than the (relatively) compact European continent. When it came to cities in the US the poor planning caused streetcars to not be used as effectively as they could have been. -Megan Mc. | I feel like due to the size of the United States public transport, such as these streetcars, never stood a chance once automobiles were developed. The wide expanse of the country made the public transport more difficult than the (relatively) compact European continent. When it came to cities in the US the poor planning caused streetcars to not be used as effectively as they could have been. -Megan Mc. | ||
