Re: Taken For A Ride

["canetram59" <canetram59@hotmail.com>]

Bill Bolton <billboltonREMOVE-TO-EMAIL@computer.org> wrote in message
>
> It was, but the interurbans went under to automobile competition
> decades before the so called "conspiracy" is supposed to have
> occurred, due to ordinary surface roads being "all weather" hard paved
> by local and state governments.
>
> A lot of city streetcar systems also went under at time as well.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill
>
The alleged conspiracy supposedly started in 1923 and I am sure that there
were still many interurban lines still operating at that time and beyond.
Pacific Electric lasted for about another 35 years or so. The TV show
pointed out that the streetcar lines (that still existed) enjoyed there
biggest patronage during the Second World War. After the War, since track
and  vehicle maintenance could not be undertaken during that time, the
systems were very much run down and required a massive injection of funds to
bring them up to standard again. This money was not forthcoming and so many
systems closed down in the years after the War.
The Wilbur Smith plan, conducted in the 1960's, proposed a system of
freeways in Brisbane. The plan was commenced with the current South-East
Freeway being the result. Where does it feed into? Why central Brisbane City
of course!! Traffic is gridlocked if there is even a minor accident on the
SE Freeway.. A number of other freeways proposed in the report were not
built for various reasons. The report (espousing the American Freeway
mentality) also sounded the death knell of Brisbane's trams.

canetram59