what would life in america be like today without interstate highways?

Question

yes, obviously, it would take longer to get from new york to miami.

but what else would be different? how would it affect how we work, play, relate to each other as individuals (family/friends) and as a society?

http://www.interstate-guide.com/purpose.html

Answer 1

If the interstates had never been built, it's possible that the US would not have remained such a strongly united nation. Without strong transport links, the US population would have had less to identify with people living in other states.

Arguably, cities would have developed upon more 'liveable' lines. With no behemoth malls out on the interstate, city centres would have flourished instead of becoming ghost towns as in some places.

Answer 2

I saw a documentary on this subject a while back. One of the things it mentioned was that with the highways came the demise of several small businesses. Used to be, folks would stop at restaurants and such, but when the superhighways came, those restaurants and small businesses got bypassed.

Another change brought by the superhighways was that neighborhoods got divided. Rather than just going down the street to visit your neighbor, there was a huge, dangerous highway to cross.

It's an intersting thing to consider, and I wish I could remember the name of the show...it was on a publicly supported network (PBS, I believe).

I guess the major differences I can think of, based on what I learned in that show, are that there would be more thriving small businesses without highways and maybe more neighborly feelings between neighbors who really aren't that far apart.

Answer 3

Probably-wonderful. The only reason for the congestion is that they simply exist in the first place. When the Interstate I frequently use now was only a fourlane highway, it had its share of congestion and Friday traffic snarls. After the extra four lanes were opened, the hellish situation eased-until the following year, when many more 'residents' relocated to the same locale, creating the same previously impossible traffic congestion. "If you build it they will come" has always been a reality around here, and what the State has truly built is only a much larger nightmare-forever growing more and more out-of-hand.

Answer 4

Not all that different. Trains would have become more advanced and plentiful, people would still be traveling, but maybe not so spontaneously. Housing developments would have focused on train stations and depots, rather than cloverleafs in the middle of nowhere. Humans might meet and talk more on trains, rather than giving each other dirty looks from cars.
Probably a little slower, less demanding on resources for the same number of people, so less aggressive politics, less terrorism, fewer tourist traps.

Answer 5

Trains & Planes would rule over the transportation.

Trains would be the main way to transfer goods (food, clothes, appliances). Trains use coal as their energy supplier, and then we'd be like China choaking on the smog. However, Sub-way's and L-Trains would also emerge more to transport us to different places.

Planes & helicopters would run more often and almost get to the sufficiency of a subway. It would probably be more effient for us to travel for us.

Many of us would not see what the country has to offer in terms of landscaping ... mountains, swamps, plains, etc-etc-etc.

Answer 6

I guess without all the high-speed Interstate highways, we'd still be cruisin' along, "gettin' our kicks Route 66..." Old school, my man!

Answer 7

You would have a greater appreciation of the country you live in. There would be more privatly owned restaurants and motels, so you would eat better food and have accomodations that were more personal.

Answer 8

would be a lot quieter in front of my place, these 18 wheelers speeding by at 2 in the morning really make a racket

Answer 9

Slow, see Mayberry, RFD for reference

Answer 10

You'll spend 24 hours from traveling.