1. Transportation and Areal Specialization The main role of transportation is to connect places and move things and people (and ideas) from place to place Transportation allows places to specialize in the production of goods Places can exchange goods and no longer need to be self-sufficient Transportation reduces time and friction of distance

2. American Culture and Mobility 18% of income goes to transportation 18% of Americans change their residence every year, both local and long-distance

3. Transportation in the US, 1950-2000 1950 Already well-developed networks PEOPLE: –Autos dominated intercity transport (86%) –Railroads (6%) –Buses (5%) –Airlines (< 3%) –10.4% of GDP on passenger transportation –Auto 83%; air 7%; bus/taxi/light rail 5%; rail/bus 2%

5. 6.1% of the GDP Trucks 79% Railroads 8% (loss from 14 to 8%) Water 5% Air (1-4%) oil pipelines 2% Transportation Freight Movement

7. Highway Transportation 1930s national network system of paved roads with federal dollars By 1950s basically complete but linked towns Truck rapidly replaces rail for freight 1950-95 number of cars increased by 200%; trucks almost 800% Buses leading form of intra-city transportation

8. - Interstate System 1950s Eisenhower Government (I.H.S.) Federal gasoline tax to finance construction (Highway Trust Fund) After 1980 “ring” freeways added Considered “circulatory system of the nation”

9. - Truck Transportation Location Strategy and Traffic Patterns 1920s started monopolizing freight transportation within cities New locations to manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers Flexibility and reasonable, relatively low cost compared to rail and water Began to change the shape (morphology) of cities, and where people went to work

10. Railroads 1950-1996 importance of rail as a method of transportation declined Number of miles of rail declined as railroad routes were abandoned 1950 – 393,000 miles 1996 – 136,000 miles of rail But freight traffic increased from 628 billion to 1426 billion ton- miles in 1996 Dominated by a few bulk commodities (grain and coal) Intermodal traffic involves moving a commodity using different modes of transport e.g. grain from barge to rail or containers from ships to rail to truck (land-bridge services) Container ports and break-in-bulk points

11. Gateways where traffic is exchanged between railroad companies e.g. Chicago, St Louis, Kansas City and New Orleans But less important today with container and truck freight Old rail stations reused in many cities for shopping centers or offices Similarly passenger rail traffic declined from 36 to 14 billion passenger-miles 1970 Congress created Amtrak (federally supported National Railroad Passenger Corporation) Only Northeast corridor and a few other routes now possible for passengers Late 1990s Amtrak invested in the New Haven - Boston – New York track allowing high speed trains Some cities have extensive commuter services Also subway systems