I was doing some research, and was surprised to learn how many of the small cities near me used to have their own streetcar networks prior to the 1940s.
Did streetcars make sense in smaller (under 100,000 population) cities, or was "bustitution" the right move?
Most of these small town networks were build in a time when combustion engines were too weak to carry a meaningful amount of people, so no busses (and also few cars for the same reason).
From today's perspective there are cases of cities under 100k that due to their layout have high used corridors that streetcars work on well but in most cases streetcars don't make sense in small cities.
>>929344
>>929324
It's true that had buses been available, there would've been no reason to put down a tram line in such small towns, at the same time, once the tram line had been built, they might as well have kept it. Bustitution made relative sense, it wasn't a terrible option in small towns, but it wasn't really necessary, it was more part of a trend away from streetcars. Just look at how some small european cities kept their tram system and managed to get good use out of it. Could they be converted to buses? Sure, but there's really no need to get rid of a perfectly good rail system that's already in place.
Something similar happens with some of those really lightly travelled rail lines. They'd never be built nowadays because roads and cars/buses/trucks have vastly improved, but if you already have the rail line there it's a better idea to get the most out of it, rather than just let it rot.
![interurbanmapsmall[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/IWeDTnX.jpg "interurbanmapsmall[1].jpg")
>>929324
Are you in the Midwest?
>>929381
>Just look at how some small european cities kept their tram system and managed to get good use out of it.
Well this has to do with the fact that at the beginning of the 1900s the transit actually made good money, so the municipal governments in Europe were like "lol, socialism" and made a monopoly out of the municipal transport.
Then the economic situation went south similar to the American situation:labor costs increased and patronage was lost to private automobiles, so the systems weren't quite self-sustainable anymore, but all the less there were still significant number of people (=voters) relying on the service, the cities started to subsidise it and as said, once the tramways were build, they were built.
Also there's the issue of right of way: given it was the city property on city road, that was free and the same guys who maintained the streets also maintained the tracks.
>>929391
Yes, near Chicago.
I know that at least 5 small cities/towns within 30 miles of me that had streetcar systems at one point.
>>929405
thats the most misinformation ive seen in a post all day.
cite your sources.
>>929425
>cite your sources.
You first, bud.
>>929428
First post ITT... You made the claims, you provide the sources.
>>929429
I wasn't the guy who made that post. I just wanted to see if you have any sources.
One essential resource for US interurbans is "The Electric Interurban Railways in America" by George W. Hilton and John F. Due.
>>929425
I think this does apply to Germany and the Nordics. CIS countries are a different beast altogether.
I have only definite knowledge of that cancer-coutry, but here it was definitely so. The city funded the building of the tramway with provisions to buy it out later, which it did, because at that point it still made money. Later on transit was monopolozed with so called "traffic contract system" which in cities were systematically given for the city run bus company. Very competitive, much capitalism. No corruption.
Now, the foamers claim today it's more or less breaking even. That was the case when the thing was throughoutly evaluated at the late 60s and the city decided the spare the trams "because people seem to have grown fond of them".
>>929405
>implying there's no cars in Europe
every. fucking. time.
>Did streetcars make sense in smaller (under 100,000 population) cities
Yes
In European cities with populations in the hundreds of thousands they have been bringing back tram networks with 3-5 routes
In Germany they connect the tram network with the railway networks allowing the trams to make trips between towns and cities supplementing the regional and inter-urban train services
>>929527
I didn't imply.
That said, after the war most energies went to rebuilding, so imports were regulated and domestic automobile builders couldn't keep up, so we got our golden fifties running slightly later than you.
You don't know what a "sailor car" means, don't you?
>>929585
And absolutely there was the more lebensraum for my death cage thing going on once the car industry got running, but all factors summed, at least some systems got spared.
>>929324
That thing probably doesn't even have ac
>>932046
this one does
