roAD、BuilDingAnD、th
E、AutomoBilE
1 CAr rEgistrAtions in thE unitED stAtEs rosE From onE million in 1913 to tEn million in 1923.By 1927,AmEriCAns wErE Driving somE twEnty-six million AutomoBilEs, onE CAr For EvEry FivE pEoplE in thE Country.AutomoBilE sAlEs in thE stAtE oF miChigAn outnumBErED thosE in grEAtBritAin AnD irElAnD ComBinED、For thE First timE in history, morE pEoplE livED in CitiEs thAn on FArms, AnD thEy wErE migrAting to thE City By AutomoBilE.
2thE AutomoBilE wAs EvEryAmEriCAn’s iDEA oF FrEEDom, AnD thE ConstruCtion oF hArD- surFACE roADs wAs onE oF thE lArgEst itEms oF govErnmEnt ExpEnDiturE, oFtEn At grEAt Cost to EvErything ElsE. thE growth oF roADs AnD thE AutomoBilE inDustry mADE CArs thE liFEBlooD oF thE pEtrolEum inDustry AnD A mAjor ConsumEr oF stEEl. thE AutomoBilE CAusED ExpAnsions in outDoor rECrEAtion, tourism, AnD rElAtED inDustriEs--sErviCE stAtions, roADsiDE rEstAurAnts, AnD motEls.AFtEr 1945, thE AutomoBilE inDustry rEAChED nEw hEights, AnD nEw roADs lED out oF thE City to thE suBurBs, whErE two-CAr FAmiliEs trAnsportED ChilDrEn to nEw sChools AnD shopping mAlls.
3in 1956CongrEss pAssED thE intErstAtE highwAyACt, thE pEAk oF A hAlF-CEntury oF FrEnziED roAD BuilDing At govErnmEnt ExpEnsE AnD thE lArgEst puBliC works progrAm in history. thE rEsult wAs A nEtwork oF FEDErAlly suBsiDizED highwAys ConnECting mAjor urBAn CEntErs. thE intErstAtE highwAys strEtChEDAmEriCAn moBility to nEw DistAnCEs, AnD two-hour CommutEs, trAFFiC jAms, pollutED CitiEs, AnDDisnEylAnD BECAmE stAnDArD FEAturEs oF liFE. likE Almost EvErything ElsE in thE 1950s, thE ConstruCtion oF intErstAtE highwAys wAs justiFiED As A nAtionAl DEFEnsE mEAsurE.
4thE FEDErAl govErnmEnt guArAntEED thE prEDominAnCE oF privAtE trAnsportAtion. sinCE thE 1950s, 75 pErCEnt oF FEDErAl FunDs For trAnsportAtion hAs BEEn spEnt on highwAys, whilE A sCAnt onE pErCEnt hAs gonE to BusEs, trAins, or suBwAys.EvEn BEForE thE intErstAtE highwAy systEm wAs Built, thEAmEriCAn BiAs wAs ClEAr, whiCh is why thE unitED stAtEs hAs thE worlD’s BEst roAD systEm AnD nEArly its worst puBliC trAnsit systEm.
ACCorDing to thE pAssAgE, thEAmEriCAn AttituDE towArD thE AutomoBilE hAs rEsultED inA．A prEFErEnCE For privAtE CArs ovEr puBliC trAnsportAtion
B、loss oF FArmlAnD AnD DEstruCtion oF trADitionAl FArm liFE
C．An inCrEAsE in thE numBEr oF DEAths DuE to CAr ACCiDEnts
D．CritiCism oF thE Amount oF monEy spEnt on roADs