The community I grew up in - suburban Chicago - was a Real Estate speculator's idea in the 1920's. They built the "el" line (elevated electric trains) out to it, paved the streets and sidewalks, planted elm trees, named the streets after English places, and then the 1929 market crash happened.
The trees grew for 20 years on empty lots. Then after WWII, the returning veterans moved out of the city to new houses being built there. By 1955, the last 5 miles of the electric train line was abandoned because of a lack of customers. In the suburbs, everybody drove cars... Regards, Bob S. On 4/28/05, P. J. Alling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In most cities in the North Eastern US, (and maybe elsewhere, but I only > know about the Northeast), the Trolley companies also paid to pave and > maintain the street. That's usually why the company got the ROW to > begin with. The history of Railroads and Light Rail (trolleys etc.) is > quite fascinating. Trolley and Railroad bubbles led to very strange and > unprofitable lines being built. > > Bob Sullivan wrote: > > >Simple economics. > >Trolly lines paid to maintain their right of way. > >Citizens paid to maintain the city streets. > >Guess why bus lines were cheaper to operate. > >Regards, Bob S. > > > >On 4/27/05, Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>Graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >>>Frantisek wrote: > >>> > >>> > >>>>I heard that it was a big lobby of GM and other bus/gas makers for the > >>>>naphta buses against trolleys and streetcars... unfortunately > >>>>successful in most US cities. Glad it is a bit better in Canada. > >>>> > >>>> > >>>It was not a lobby it was a scam by GM and ESSO. It worked. They got fined > >>>millions, but made billions. > >>> > >>> > >>Old urban legend: > >>http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_335.html > >> > >>-- > >>Mark Roberts > >>Photography and writing > >>www.robertstech.com > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > >
