How The Interstate Connected And Divided America - The Lightbulb Moment

Dwight Eisenhower’s interstate system was the biggest infrastructure project of its time. But what justified this cost was its potential to connect all corners of America, boosting the post-war economy. However, the unforeseen impacts of the highway system seemed to do the opposite of its creator’s intention.
This is The Lightbulb Moment. A Cheddar and CuriosityStream Original Series. The show that uncovers the surprising impact of less-celebrated inventions and the moments of inspiration that made them possible.
Watch 13 minute versions here on Cheddar's KZbin page. You can also watch the full 22 minute episodes on CuriosityStream and on Cheddar's live network Wednesdays, at 8 p.m.
curiositystream.com/cheddar​​
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[@michaeljf6472]

The mistake is simple but quite impactful: Build highways to connect citites, but DO NOT put them INTO the cities.

[@ROBLOXGamingDavid]

And if they were to put interstates into cities, they had to be below ground or be in tunnels... Just like what Boston's Big Dig does.

[@mineetoy]

ye instead of driving for 5 days i wanna drive 2 months as well as go thru traffic along the city’s roads

[@alex2143]

@@mineetoy yes because putting a highway 2 minutes away from the city will snowball into a 2 month delay.

[@Enzo187]

@@mineetoy wtf are u smoking

[@mineetoy]

@@Enzo187 your mom

[@olli2074]

Tldr - Highways between urban areas= good. Highways through cities and suburbs = hell on earth.

[@FGH9G]

Bingo, the construction of the Interstate Highway System went too far, especially when they started cutting through densely populated urban areas and razing and bulldozing entire neighborhoods and historic districts.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

@@FGH9G You still need at least a couple highways through an urban zone, maybe they went to far but if you didn't you'd have trucks on tight urban streets clogging up traffic. I mean do you want large semi trucks coming through your neighborhood on a daily basis? My bet is no

[@danieldkland]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Look to how European cities does it. Most have managed to preserve their much more historic cities somehwat better in regards to highway construction

[@joaquinjr2570]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv not not really if you have good public transportation and a ring road you won’t need one through the middle of the city. Many cities don’t have highways go through the direct middle and do perfectly fine London and Vancouver come to mind. We can also build highways underground like Boston

[@jwolternova1051]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv It means you need good arterial roads, not highway arterial roads. You don't need to go max speed to downtown, you need to go on time, and highways get clogged up. A good arterial road builds up traffic and frees traffic as it goes further in.

[@demizer1968]

They were also made with less than half of the foundation of the autobahn. That’s why there is so much repair/reconstruction

[@leeprice2849]

Truth

[@thomasgrabkowski8283]

autobahn has tons of repair/construction. Its designed to be driven at 200mph, unlike 70mph like the interstate

[@KlodFather]

Maybe 60 years ago but the new roads are built to standards that are equal to or well above the european highways. The weight ratings set on USA roads right now are there for safety and to ease wear. Our new roads and bridges can carry astronomical weights for oversized loads. There are plenty of videos on youtube to prove this. My ex wife is a civil PE working on interstate and toll roads projects and I know first hand how they are built underneath the concrete. They are first class projects.

[@KlodFather]

@@thomasgrabkowski8283 - All the new roads being built here for the last 40 years are designed around a min 100mph speed with a considerable safety margin. You are talking about the roads designed and built 60+ years ago. i70 in southern Pennsylvania from Breezewood to DC is an example of what you are talking about and has never been re-engineered.

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

One of the best short documentaries you've done yet, Cheddar.

[@pkj6684]

You

[@whathell6t]

@The Aristocrat Nope! He’s actually rare in the Tokusatsu side of KZbin. It’s the same for Justin Y.

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

Anata..

[@yuritokun]

Didnt expect you to be here

[@dangerouslytalented]

They concentrated on car traffic while neglecting public transport, particularly trains. The result is that while anybody with a reliable car can get anywhere, those without one are stuck nowhere.

[@randomgodll1073]

Public transportation isn't viable in America because of the low congested population. thats why only in the cities u get major public transportation. its very logical I'm sure its like this everywhere in the world or to at least in the developed world.

[@dangerouslytalented]

@@randomgodll1073 Australian cities have a very similar layout. They all have great public transport. Anything over a hundred thousand should have some form of rail and bus system

[@DeadAir21]

@@randomgodll1073 or it could be because we underfund it on all levels of government, we’ve stigmatized people that it’s nothing more than poor people movers so affluent areas choose not to fund them, and special interest groups for the oil and auto industries are making sure it stays that way.

[@Shermanbay]

The best form of public transportation is the private car. You can go anywhere, anytime. No traditional public transportation can make that claim.

[@ifkensen_3304]

@@Shermanbay I think it's better to have the car as an option rather than a necessity. Driving is cool, but when everyone's doing it, it becomes a hassle. Good public transport would decrease traffic, thus making it easier for you to drive on the highway.

[@AwesomeDwarves]

Good video but it seems like majority of video time was devoted to Eisenhower and pre-highway history. I would've liked to see more on the consequences (good and bad) of the highway such as economic, environmental, and social impacts.

[@denelson83]

And Cheddar, what happened to your metric figures? You do know this is the _World Wide_ Web, right?

[@pura517]

Yeah that's what I was expecting more of.

[@novacaesar9303]

Extra credits just did a great video on that.

[@AyjAy011]

@@denelson83 well I mean the interstate is an America only thing so I’d say it’s appropriate to use the imperial system for this

[@denelson83]

@@AyjAy011 You're missing the point. If Cheddar wanted this video to only be seen by an American audience, it would have geo-restricted it so only people in the US could view it. But since it is viewable _worldwide,_ it needs to include the metric figures. And besides, the antiquated "imperial system" should not even be a thing anymore, anywhere.

[@jasonyau326]

I am from Vancouver Canada considered by many to be one of the best cities in the world to live in. One of the reasons for this distinction is we do not have a highway going into our downtown core. This due to public opposition 60 years for a such a plan to construct a highway into the heart of Vancouver. We are forever grateful for the foresight the residents back then had, AMEN

[@MichaelSalo]

Well done. I don't know of any US city off hand that doesn't have a freeway blasting through the middle of it. It's the depressing, dysfunctional norm.

[@rituwebpro]

@@MichaelSaloSan francisco and NYC dont. No wonder there the most walkable cities in the US

[@MichaelSalo]

@@rituwebpro There are degrees of intrusion. SF and NYC do have freeways sadly. SF tore down one of them but still has I-80 and 101. NYC is still dealing with the BQE among others. There's no walkability around these monsters.

[@HankScorpio1982]

Connected and divided America, sounds similar to the internet

[@coopaloopvt]

When I first clicked I misread “interstate” as “Internet”

[@deathrobloxian]

Sure does

[@blancavelasquez9859]

that’s what happens with anything new

[@NeoNeoNeo]

It did used to be referred to as the "Information Superhighway"

[@KevinKickChannel]

Okay come on, the internet connected people much more than it divided

[@andrewmargolis9224]

“Partially well done, partially incomplete.” *literally every road in America*

[@stealthcone]

In Europe it goes something more like “mostly incomplete and partially too old”

[@Dylan_Lanckman]

@@stealthcone More specifically in Belgium: we build it halfway, hope it works, and only fix and finish it when it's seriously falling apart.

[@M364A]

@@Dylan_Lanckman so every nation in the world has world that are incomplete and done/old

[@solehsolehsoleh]

Eisenhower : *Saw German Autobahn* Also Eisenhower : ...And I took that personally.

[@VHONNDAMN]

Wow that was the glossiest gloss over I’ve ever witnessed towards the end... could you say less about the communities that were destroyed?

[@msquared9605]

Here we go… “How interstates and roads were created to be another tool of black oppression in America”

[@kaushiknair3850]

@@msquared9605 i mean they were lol

[@thunderbird1921]

How about it DESTROYED public transportation and rural communities? Tourist towns is all they mention?! It devastated the rural communities since many of them economically depended on the branch railroads or Route Higways to survive! And these weren't all minority folks, these were often white working class folks! The Interstate was too often built as a form of CLASSISM.

[@10gamer64]

I heard a Russian saying: The Soviets built rail while the Americans built roads, pretty much true

[@waltermachnicz5490]

During WW2 the Soviets built 139,000 trucks. The allies shipped more than that in 1941 I think. The first year they shipped vehicles. Almost 500,000 vehicles shipped by the end of the war. The Soviets never put a priority on building non military vehicles or modernizing them. So roads were not available for invasion. Possibly. Anyway trains were necessary unless they invested in cars and trucks and reducing the cost of gasoline.

[@nicholasdean3467]

I mean public transit was massive. Then car industry lobbied to kill off public transit. Now America has one of the worst public transits in developed world.

[@MattZaycYT]

American built rail 100 years before

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

It seems rail is making a comeback in the US, alongside highways. Unfortunately we are seeing the same problems with rail as we did with the highways...driving people out of neighborhoods. See: Phoenix and $3,000 one bedroom apartments...but it’s close to the train!!

@@waltermachnicz5490 most of Soviet trucks came from United States. USA shipped more trucks to USSR than USSR could built. US shipped 400,000 trucks and jeeps, 14,000 Airplanes, 8,000 Tractors, 13,000 Tanks, 1,500,000 Blankets, 15,000,000 Pairs of Army Boots, 107,000 tons of Cotton, 2,700,000 Tons of Petrol Products, 4,500,000 tons of food to the Soviet Union.

[@joshkibler8016]

Also, GM also funded the destruction of interubran streetcars, which hurt these communities even further. They created an environment where a car was not just a luxury but an expensive neccisty.

[@warmike]

Those tram networks were already not profitable, GM just bought them and replaced with buses

[@jacobwoods8738]

GM and Le Corbusier wanted cars to be as important a necessity as food and water. It really is such a shame what they did to companies like Pacific Electric, buying up street railways and shutting them down. After hard usage some of the, certainly were worn out and not profitable, but that is an enduring problem with mass transit in this country, no one ever seems to think about the overarching long term, only the short term of this is worn out, rip up the rails for shiny new buses that GM built and use Firestone tyres.

[@paulmentzer7658]

First the Interurban Streetcar system was under economic pressure by the early 1920s, most were marginal undertakings done between 1890 and 1920 to provide competition with steam locomotive companies. With the invention of the Gasoline tax, rural roads started to be paved and with no one in Europe wanting to buy wheat from the Soviet Union, the US farm economy was in a boom period and thus could buy automobiles. Between those two pressure most interurban systems failed in the 1920s replaced by bus companies that operated on the then newly paved highways. This was followed by the ending of Streetcars in small cities. Such Streetcar systems had always been marginal and tied in with the above Interurban system and once the inner urban system went under, most of them last a few more years, but closed down in the 1930s. On the other hand, inner city Streetcars did well even during the Great Depression, most holding they own and even doing they best business during WWII (the Los Angles Streetcar system peak year was 1944). The problem was the post war era when GM was willing to finance the purchase of buses, but most Streetcar Companies had a hard time finding anyone who would loan them money to update their Streetcars, most of which had been purchased in the 1920s and by the 1940s needed to be replaced. This was NOT because lenders were wary of Streetcar Companies, they were still profitable, the problem in the immediate Post WWII era you still had very strict credit rules. For Example you could buy a car in the post war ear on payments, but the payments period could not exceed 18 months (Compared to 60 months you can get today). These were FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS on credit, that GM because it had made a huge profit during WWII making Trucks, Sub Machine guns, Airplanes, Airplane engines, diesel locomotives etc, could ignore (or work around by buyng the Streetcar Company and selling that company buses on a long term repayment plan). GM's hands were not completely clean, there is evidence (but not enough to convict) that GM bribe local officials with very low prices on New GM Cars (Or just left them drive the car while it stayed "owned" by GM). On the other hand, there is no real evidence that what GM did was illegal (or we can not prove what GM did was Illegal). The main reason for this was the post WWII PCC all Electric Streetcar could haul more people faster then any buses GM was making in the late 1940s. Thus if a Streetcar company could find a way to pay for new equipment, they did. The problem was with the heavy credit restrictions of the post WWII era, A secondary factor was what I call "Advertisement". In the days of Streetcars, as traffic backed up, the drivers saw the steel rails and over head wires and blamed the streetcars for the traffic jam, on the grounds the Streetcar stopped at every intersection. Many city politicians hearing these complaints decided the best solution was to get rid of the Streetcars. They could NOT quite do that for a lot of people still used Streetcars, so the politicians replaced the Streetcars with buses and then had the rails paved over and the overhead wires removed. Thus auto drivers (who tended to be higher income then the riders of Streetcars and Buses) would no longer see the overhead wires or steel rails and thus no longer complained of the Streetcars causing the Traffic jam; they can then blame the real cause, the other Automobiles on the road. In the last 40 years this same "Advertisement" has come into play, but it reverse. Most of the modern Streetcars tend to run on their own right of way, thus when drivers of Automobiles see rails and overhead wires they again think of Streetcars. but today as they see the Streetcars go by on their own right of way. Thus when a New Streetcar System is built, rider-ship tends exceed expectations, while something like Bus Rapid Transit (with its own right of way) tends to fall below rider-ship expectations. The reason is simple, overhead wires and rails, remain drivers that rail is an option, while a concrete lane reserved for buses is dismissed as another lane of traffic. The key here is that "Advertisement" is more then an ad on the Television or on a billboard, it is product itself and its placement. Buses only state it is a bus when you see it in traffic, but a Streetcar is "Seen" not only when a Streetcar is spotted, but also when people see the overhead wires and tracks. Thus a Streetcar is always "seen", even if no Streetcar is actually seen, but buses are only seen as they come into view. In the 1940s and 1950s this was bad for Streetcars for they were seen as causing traffic jams. Today this is good for Streetcars are seen as part of the solution to traffic jams. Just a comment, while GM does NOT have clean hands in the replacements of Streetcars by buses, other factors were also in play. The biggest for Interurban and Small city Streetcars was the paving of rural roads (Till the 1960s and the US Supreme Court one man one vote rule, Cities had to pave their own roads, even if the road was a "State or US Highway", State legislatures had rules that gave more seats in the State Legislature to rural areas then urban areas, in 1964 that was ruled to violate the equal protection clause of the Federal Consitution and many states had to change their state consitution to compley with that rulng). In regards to large inner city Streetcar systems, the desire of politicians to please automobilie drivers was a huge factor in replacing Streetcars with Buses along with the restrictions on Credit in the immediate pose WWII era were. GM did have a role in this ending of Streetcars, GM hands are not clean but there were other factors coming into plan (and one was upfront, Buses were cheaper then Streetcars but Streetcars lasted longer and needed less maintenance, thus over the life time of each, the Streetcar was cheaper but a lot of politicians worried about this years budget not the budget for a time period when they be out of office).

[@MichaelSalo]

@@warmike Trams add to the value of local neighborhoods. Highways obliterate the value of local neighborhoods.

[@MrCTruck]

I'm really glad they touched on the decimation of black and latino neighborhoods as well as the bit at the end with interstates bypassing tourist towns like radiator springs from cars. The politics of roads and the interstate are severely underrated in history

[@KenKen-ui4ny]

Much like what we are seeing with online shopping to big box stores and mails. I believe the interstate system and demand in other direct point A to B travel means such as passenger jets, was a test of survival of the fittest to along the way tourist towns. I have been to many tourist towns that are quite a ways from the interstate, which have been their for for decades. And they look like they are doing really well. I think one of the reason why for that besides expanding and updating their attractions, is broader advertisement. Half of these tourist town probably invested in advert intervention when the interstate system came, to keep relevant to travelers. Such as through TV commercials even along the interstate billboard messaging to help them attract people.

[@scottlarson1548]

There was a plan in my city in the 1950's to build freeways through several old neighborhoods around me. It would have turned these nice neighborhoods into fragmented dumps.

[@al-du6lb]

Do a special with Chuck Marohn from Strong Towns to talk about the Stroad: the horrible street/road hybrid which has devoured our places.

[@geoman798]

That would be a great episode!

[@FinneasJedidiah]

Do you watch 'Not Just Bikes' or 'City Beautiul'? They both talk about topics like this!

[@joaquinjr2570]

@@FinneasJedidiah omg yes I love them

[@clintgolub1751]

I HATE STROADS. Literally driving on one as I type this comment (Ralph Nader would hate me..)

[@alecmarsili7749]

When you literally see your home on the thumbnail :O

[@jaimeleiva4865]

which one is?

[@MVOH]

Shitty mate

[@fabianalfonsoooo]

yoo which one lmao

[@issecret1]

Good or bad?

[@Jake-td3zt]

The ghetto projects. I saw it.

[@whitenat]

Other people: watching this video Me, an intellectual: watching the cars movie

[@mthunzimapatwana]

Haha this really reminded me of that Movie

[@john1703]

The law of unintended consequences. All engineering is a compromise between three competing desires. They are cost, time and quality. You can have any two!

[@Jabid21]

For America, the two choices are cost and time, both are very high.

[@mthunzimapatwana]

These Documentaries keep on getting better and better Well done Cheddar

[@mineetoy]

no they get worse lol

[@mosesmc52]

Cheddar, you should do a lightbulb moment documentary on the electric grid and the influence of Samuel Insull.

[@justindekock7211]

Your channel's quality just keeps getting better and better. Keep up the great work!

[@mineetoy]

no it keeps getting worse and worse

[@THEFIRE360]

Now we are just competing to see who has the most potholes in our roads

[@walterbrunswick]

Things are going downhill

[@mineetoy]

the old us route system

[@allen7585]

The majority of cities in America require a car just to get food. The problem is cars are really expensive so the burden falls on lower-middle class and poorer class to pay for for a car, or to mention the gas, upkeep, fees, etc. people even earning $10 an hour can have a whole paycheck wiped out on a car repair. Taxes may be low but you’re left to pick up the burden of a car because the public transit is next to nonexistent. Least of all, car dependent lifestyle has made us all fat as fuck no matter your socioeconomic background.

[@randomgodll1073]

Public transportation isn't viable in America because of the low congested population. thats why only in the cities u get major public transportation. its very logical I'm sure its like this everywhere in the world or to at least in the developed world.

[@zoomermillenial9557]

Hmmm wouldn’t it be a great idea to have certain areas built around middle class and upper middle class means and needs, occupied solely by those people, and also have areas built around lower class needs and means, occupied solely by those people. Housing disparate peoples together creates big logistical problems, not to mention cultural problems.

[@bigjuicypotato1482]

@@randomgodll1073 And the low population density was caused by the popularity of cars and no longer needing high density accommodation

[@nasim3987]

@@randomgodll1073 then what about china

[@zoanth4]

We don't need that much public trans.

[@deathrobloxian]

2:27, Wait is that a two person bike??

[@CityWhisperer]

Thought the same

[@rgbii2]

Yea, I've never seen a side-by-side bike like that. I'm sure there's a reason they no longer exist.

[@skinko_hobby]

These are called sociables or buddy bikes. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociable

[@yolo_burrito]

The 1910’s and 1915’s, huh?

[@maggiemae7539]

Hardly anyone had vehicles then. When was the A and T? Or we have been storied to!

[@yolo_burrito]

@@maggiemae7539 the 15’s are part of the teens. It should be 19010’s and 20’s.

[@Swoost]

How many ads was that like 4 or 5 in 10 minutes lol

[@csec8740]

Use an Adblocker

[@mageta621]

@@csec8740 hard on mobile

[@austinechavarria5093]

@@mageta621 heard of vanced?

[@Swoost]

@Inda Now i understand the necessity of ads but theres an amount that is just excessive, like 4 or 5 in 10 minutes. it is the content creators choice of how many ads to place

[@Swoost]

@Inda Now from what ive heard the creator can set whether there are ads, and then how many and where they appear in the video. they have no control over the content of the ads

[@volley7099]

I disagree, the premise of the Eisenhower Interstate system wasn’t to connect America, but to efficiently move military vehicles. I don’t think the originators cared what was impacted by its construction.

[@thatguykeelan1753]

You may be confusing the autobahn with the American interstate

[@jacobwoods8738]

@@thatguykeelan1753 Oh I doubt it. I have always heard and watched programmes that the interstates were based upon the efficiency of the German autobahns. (As mentioned in this very programme. And of course what did Eisenhower use the autobahn for, military purposes). American motorways were made to stimulate commerce, but a major goal was for military transport in the Soviet Cold War.

[@mineetoy]

@@thatguykeelan1753 b r u h

[@Ascertivus]

I've got an idea. Instead of connecting neighboring cities with just highways in the United States, do so with high speed rail as well. That way, those traveling between the cities by car would go through small towns like they used to, supporting their economies, and those who travel by train can do so much faster and the impact on the environment is smaller. Yes, cost and politics are both major factors that could make or break this concept, but I still think that it could yield great results for the country.

[@mineetoy]

bruh

[@AB-mg5oc]

This is well explained in Cars with the downfall of Radiator Springs

[@heath2]

true, that was a real things that happened to towns especially out west

[@12KevinPower]

WE WANT HIGH-SPEED RAIL NOW!!!

[@dominickdallas1752]

Elon’s Hyper loop

[@fuckheinschitt239]

You are ignorant.

[@YankeeYork]

@Ploke Newo78 What are you talking about, there are no highspeed rails in America!

[@enthusiast9395]

There is a project that is happening: California High Speed Rail (Phase 1) Proposed / prepared to break ground: DC Maglev (DC to Baltimore) Greenfield Corridor (Atlanta, GAto Charlotte, NC) Connect NEC 2035 (Amtrak Northeast Corridor) Brightline West (Victorville, CA - Las Vegas, NV) Cascadia Rail (Portland, OR to Vancouver, BC) Texas Central Railway (Dallas to Houston)

[@shuandoyle7871]

That impossible it will take longer then now to do that

[@uncinarynin]

If only they invested the same in high speed railways ...

[@RO-ow7vt]

There is no need to, high speed railways are just not effective in the US, amtrack operates very few proftiable routes and many are being closed because of an almost complete lack of traffic.

[@peter_smyth]

@@RO-ow7vt Why do routes have to be profitable? They are a public service like roads, and roads aren't profitable. Rider numbers are low because the services aren't good, effective high speed rail would increase ridership.

[@RO-ow7vt]

@@peter_smyth I did not say they have to be profitable, just that a vast majority are not, most other countries can at least get close to breaking even whereas amtrack is losing tons of money for very few passangers served.

[@KevinAmezaga]

​@@RO-ow7vt They lose money because their service is not comparable to driving. Also, while the vast majority of Amtrack's lines aren't profitable, exactly 99% of roads don't make a single cent back. Other countries come close to breaking-even or they do break even because they invest in service; we just don't do that in America. This idea that public transportation needs to make any money at all only comes from the cognitive dissonance of people who think public services should make money while supporting roads that make exactly zero cents back.

[@RO-ow7vt]

@@KevinAmezaga roads extremely benefitial to the economy, and there is simply no demand for more trains, I already need a car to go to the grocery store, why would I take a long distance train.

[@lil_lyrix]

*When my dad was young he lived in a middle class home in an italian family in a regular neighborhood 20 minutes outside of Detroit. One day they started buying up all the homes, then demolishing them, and 2 houses down from my dad a highway was built. That highway is M-53.*

[@dazzlingdexter5060]

Wait so the fact everyone needs to own a car is the militarys falt?

[@RO-ow7vt]

In the cities, yes. it was inevitable in more rual areas as public transit makes no sense in rural areas.

[@MTobias]

You can thank urban planning and segregation as well as the car industry for that. Cities after WWII introduced R1 zoning, making suburbs much more spread out than they were previously. The car industry also bought public transit systems and shut them down to make people buy cars (see Red Car system in LA)

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@RO-ow7vt lol you do realise many rural places in the world and in some places in the USA public transport is the only reliable form of transport?

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@RO-ow7vt they literally stated in the video how many country towns died because they weren't effectively connected.

[@mineetoy]

bruh

[@zacrl1230]

Yo, are we just going to casually pass by that DOPE two person bike at 2:26 ?

[@thetrapboy]

I live right by Dixie Highway and Lincoln Highway near Chicago Heights, IL.

[@alexismiller288]

Our only hope is the new Brightline rail in Florida. Hopefully they’re a success and inspire more railways across the country. No more highways!

[@williambrennan5701]

yeah , nope .I was pro rail , Covid is here to stay , i am sick with it now, it's no joke, ill keep my 3 cars . MANY people feel the same , covid has killed at least for now the public transit movement

[@alexismiller288]

@@williambrennan5701 Can't punctuate, didn't read. I'm happy for you, though. Or sorry that happened.

[@hereigoagain5050]

Assuming it can run underwater. Maybe "Fishline Rail."

[@MrManniG]

This is one of the best series from cheddarbto this day, please keep up the good work. Its nice to see such vievs on a (for me) totally different country. Greetings from Germany.

[@masonbeall3216]

glad you discussed the positives of highways in addition to the negatives unlike a lot of creators who discuss this topic and act like there were no positives to the building of highways

[@yagikidd2300]

I remember my mom telling me the street she lived on in her early 20s doesn’t exist anymore because they destroyed it to build the highway I-91. She said she was told to move from her apartment and that was that 😳

[@JusNoBS420]

On the west coast we call them freeways. On the east coast they call them parkways Also fun fact: Oregon and New Jersey are the only states left that you CANNOT pump your own gas.

[@theAessaya]

> CANNOT pump your own gas As an european, this one is absolutely mind-blowing to me. Not only we *can* pump our own gas over here, most places actually *expect you to*. My city has gas stations on literally every corner, and yet I am aware of only one place that can pump the gas for you as an option. The rest are "your car, you pump". And a lot of those are 24/7 full self-service ones, too.

[@JusNoBS420]

@@theAessaya Trust me as an American it’s mind blowing as well lol. I live in Seattle Washington and thinks it’s funny when someone from Oregon(which is the state just south of Washington state)pulls into a gas station here and tries to figure out how to “do it” themselves

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

We don't call highways Parkways we call them highways, expressways, or interstates. Parkways are a specific type of road in which commercial vehicle traffic is banned. Some examples include the Garden State Parkway, Henry Hudson Parkway, Hutchinson Parkway, Bay Parkway, Grand Central Parkway, Taconic Parkway, and many more.

[@JusNoBS420]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Thanks for clarification on that. Would Parkways have a similar top speed as Interstates or expressways? Like 60MPH?

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

The good old US of A, where you drive on the Parkway and park on the driveway.

[@dead2selfShema]

in 1963, my Grandparents and many of their Neighbors were pushed out of their homes, and I don't think they got any money for losing their home from the govt. My GP's had 8 children and my mother (age 16 with me) was the youngest. the others had moved out, and came to their parents rescue and found them a place to stay, and moved belongings there. The gov't only gave my GPs (and their Neighbors) only 2 weeks to move. The street they lived on was going to be a Interstate entrance/exit.

[@SerunaXI]

That Dallas plug with the "unforseen impact" really hits the nail on the head.

[@FalconsEye58094]

well today cars are no longer affordable, yet are pretty much a necessity. Its about time we look for alternatives

[@potto1488]

Electric vehicles are generally cheaper in the long run, so itll be nice to find away to make manufacturing cheaper!

[@acommentator69]

Loser

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@potto1488 lol no, the cost saving aren't open to people who can put up the initial upfront fee.

[@CaptainFSU]

8:45 interesting music choice when talking about WWIII

[@Sven.Bornemark]

Fine video, but sound is poorly mixed. Music is generally too loud.

[@FGH9G]

Yeah you're right. This is one thing I never liked Cheddar for. So many of their videos have awful sound mixing and narrations and voice overs that are WAY too soft, or music that drowns out the narration.

[@MorgenPeschke]

The ads were also much louder than the audio, at least for me

[@Sven.Bornemark]

@@MorgenPeschke With proper audio mastering, Cheddar's videos would be more even sounding and louder and more in line with the ads. But I think this is common for so many KZbinrs; poor sound. My profession? Sound engineer and musician. :-) That said, I often watch Cheddar's videos, because in terms of content, they're excellent!!

[@BIoknight000]

I appreciate how everyone is getting in on the Screw Suburbs and Highways train. Hopefully we fix all these problem with our country soon

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

LOL no if anything the burbs are going to come back now thanks to the virus locking down cities. Your socialist bernie sanders loving hipster is already starting to flee urban areas

[@blancavelasquez9859]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv not by choice but because it’s cheaper for them to start families... we have made starting families too expensive and then we cry when our birth rate is below replacement.

[@dustywaxhead]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv suburbs are closer to being urban than rural. Theyre actually often the worst of both worlds

[@gumballgtr1478]

Hurrrr durrrrrrrrrr suburbs are bad

[@rayfridley6649]

There is no mention of the four-lane limited access turnpike. The first of which, I believe, was the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which began in 1936. The source of revenue for these was, of course, tolls collected from those who used them.

[@therealmarcher]

Isn't this what Cars was about

[@HarryPujols]

This video was under 13 minutes and I counted 5 commercial interruptions.

[@SCIFIguy64]

Yeah fuck that shit. I'm all for supporting content producers, but I'll proudly use my adblock if there's an ad every 3 minutes.

[@justiceegwabor3218]

I Finally found the plot basis for Disney Cars part 1 11:40

[@Jacob-ve8xh]

Ik ahhaha

[@spamviking]

In relation to the interstates being part of a national defence initiative during the cold war, I've heard that they were built adjacent to existing US air force bases or had new bases built near them so that they could function as auxiliary runways. I don't know if that's true or not though.

[@fernandoalvarez9613]

So you’re going to overlook the NHS (National Highway System) built during the New Deal that preceded the IHS

[@KarimElhoussami]

The American public really needs to get on board with mass public transit

[@randomgodll1073]

Public transportation isn't viable in America because of the low congested population. thats why only in the cities u get major public transportation. its very logical I'm sure its like this everywhere in the world or to at least in the developed world.

[@PaulHo]

That side by side tandem bike and pennyfarthing were wild!

[@felixgarcia2184]

11:42 Radiator springs

[@joechang8696]

During WWI - 1918?, Ike had the temporary rank of lt colonel. After the war, he reverted to his permanent rank of captain, then promoted to major, which was his rank for 1919 convoy

[@almahnak12]

Why did it sound like she said "brave soldier" so sarcasticly at the beggining

[@LatinPlayer10]

11:32 - I didn't know people drove like this back then too lol

[@joshsmoore]

Literally what happened to Radiator Springs

[@metalraccoon2259]

The problem is that they decommissioned US Highways that connected a lot more states together than the Interstates do these days. The Interstates have better consistency though as they're always expressways

[@MichaelSalo]

This is a good history lesson, though not enough emphasis on the negative impact of the highways inside of cities. Beyond demolishing neighborhoods and displacing people, it also fills the city with noise and pollution, and creates impenetrable barriers for people on foot. Inside the city, it's a disconnector not a connector, and incompatible with quality of life.

[@APX710]

“The Ununited States Of America”

[@harvestedpustules6897]

Wow, I used to live off Dixie highest in Florida, that's crazy

[@lilchopstixz2161]

11:43basically describes the abandoned town next to the high way in the movie CARS

[@Housewarmin]

woah woah woah. What that side by side bike at 2:28. My interest is piqued.

[@joshuabishop909]

It’s a Side-by-side tandem bike

[@bbt305]

Good stuff

[@swegrl]

Good idea in general, boosts trade, travel and workforce mobility. But with drawbacks in the early planning phase, as a result poorly implemented

[@dk50b]

3:16 New York State never had a statewide parkway system. The world's first partly limited access parkway built to accommodate cars, The Bronx River Parkway, was completed in 1924 by the Bronx River Parkway Commission, established 17 years earlier to acquire right of way surrounding the then polluted river, and construct linear parks and a recreational drive. That drive was inadequate upon opening, and the Westchester County Park Commission that replaced the BRPC proceeded to build 160 miles of parkways both tying the county parks together and accommodating daily commuters. The Long Island Park Commission followed this model opening 85 miles of parkway during that period. New York's longest Parkway, the Taconic, and parkways in the Palisades, Niagara and Genesee Park Regions were overseen at the regional, not state level.

[@akimbofurry2179]

Been wanting to write a piece on this forever, BUt never could dig into the research needed. Thanks, cheddar.

[@kaveman_4242]

Cheddar is such a sick channel!

[@brittislove]

I really liked this

[@happygolucky5534]

I really like this series.

[@SantaFe19484]

So, what do you think of HOV lanes?

[@artcurious807]

because of America’s size highways are more feasible but China is doing both highways and high speed rail. The suburban auto centric lifestyle is not what people think. It’s a financial drain and prevents towns and cities from growing. it’s time to restore our small, midsize cities and towns and start using more light and high speed rail.

[@KRYMauL]

Actually HSR is good for the “too long to drive, too short to fly” routes. I mean no plane company likes running a plane that is going to go for

[@ericsioustis6974]

with more railways how will gas companys make money?

[@KRYMauL]

@@ericsioustis6974 Easy… F*** big oil

[@ABC-jg3pv]

Trains run on diesel lol

[@Raja-bz4yw]

I've been saying this. We need to put trains back into the US transportation.

[@jjjcccbbb111222333]

WITHOUT A CAR, I CANT GET TO THE GROCERY STORE THAT IS HALF A MILE AWAY BECAUSE THERE IS A FKN HIGHWAY INBETWEEN MY HOUSE AND THAT STORE.

[@ANTSEMUT1]

Not quite a highway but a huge road, tbh same.

[@angiepangie989]

Ooooooh I drive on "old Dixie highway" all the time in Florida!

[@MAG320]

The highway & freeway I say should be built underground like the subways were. Side walks & rest stops every 10 miles. Granted there will be included ventilation, but that would bring the surburbs back. Wont need to worry about rain, snow, wind, twisters, or bombs. The only real issue would be quakes, but that doesn't happen often, but if it does, just attach shock absorbers.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Building underground is extremely expensive. People are selfish and don't want the road closed or deal with the sight of construction for a short amount of time so the cheap methods we used in the past like cut and cover don't work anymore thus we have to resolve to expensive tunnel boring machines like Bertha used to dig the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel

[@kariminalo979]

@@AdamSmith-gs2dv It's just expensive in America because of flawed management and lack of expertise as well as outdated construction techniques in the American construction sector. America just recently started to engage in P3s joint venture. Expensive is just another foolish way of saying "I'm too greedy to actually find the core issue and fix the problem". The DOTs rely more and more on consultants who know that they can squeeze in more money by requiring more billion dollar payments for "case studies", boomer officials will fall for this and make those transactions despite getting scammed. It's like a bailout but they aren't woke enough to realize it. If you look at underground construction in Western Europan countries as cost/km it's a lot more cheaper because they have better way of managing the entire structure from deals to expertise as well as allocating resources in an efficient way and maintaining the entire construction using modern equipments. It's embarrassing when Skanska, a Swedish construction company is doing way better in the US than flagship construction companies like Bechtel, Fluorp and Jacobs Engineering group. AECOM is a total joke, they should be blacklisted along with TutorPerini.

[@elliottwalker8447]

I dont think we have the whole story here because the original intention of the highways was to go around major cities but planners like Robert Moses changed the way in which highways were built

[@DougGrinbergs]

4:54 two clips of driving on the left side of the road

[@rodimcgeesums633]

I can say were all connected once we were all pissed off at the horrendous intercity traffic.

[@michaelsivan184]

Professor Rose! He's the best!

[@rogerszmodis]

If some tiny town in the middle of nowhere can only support itself because people on the highway are forced to stop there, it’s not worth saving.

[@Tuemtuci]

Interstate are use as emergency runways Strategic Air Command made sure certain roads are made for a certain width of aircraft.

[@Pschokid]

Is this a re-upload?

[@Iceify_]

"When the interstate system bypassed a town, that town's economy withered" Radiator springs: *exactly*

[@juanmanuel3418]

Fun fact: The Federal Government used the Interstate Highways the force states to increase the drinking age to 21

[@lil_lyrix]

Best Cheddar documentary so far!

[@kyh148]

Straight through cities is the problem. In Europe they either build a ring or they go around a city entirely.

[@gromm93]

"While striving to accomplish the interstate's creators' original intention: connecting with each other. And in that regard, the interstate can help us do just that." How? You didn't say anything about that.

[@james5460]

Cheddar went way out of its way to find footage of cars driving on the left for some reason.

[@sherrieabraham6885]

Maybe you could volunteer to be her continuity expert

[@TartarianTopG]

What city is that 10:00

[@carolinevs943]

A row or route or road? I couldn't make that out.

[@drusanchez3287]

1915s?

[@BoRerunn]

Can Cheddar make a video on how the knowledge of the Atomic bomb got out in the open.

[@lisawhite9701]

I thought the title said "how the internet divided..." and was profusely confused as they talked about the Lincoln interstate

[@scottwaggoner223]

I’m guessing it’s an editing mistake or something missing from the full Curiosity Stream version, because the video around 9:01 doesn’t make much sense. Don’t build the pacific highway near the ocean, saying they did, then going straight into the interstate system which purposely avoided the coast.

[@rvallenduuk]

Next video about that last shot: how cities have been destroyed and neighbourhoods isolated when 16 lane highways were bulldozed through those cities.

[@kaceecruson9532]

A trip that would take 5 days today?? Someone has never heard of Cannonball...

[@agunglaksono8451]

believe it or not, this project made America become World's Superpower today. Now my Country (Indonesia) following their path by build many Infrastructure connecting the Nation.

[@peter1062]

Roads like this will ruin your beautiful country. When you build more roads, more people will want to buy cars. Within 20 years the whole of Java will look like Jakarta now during rush hour.

[@agunglaksono8451]

@@peter1062 Yeah man, im more about development and economic guy regardless the bad effect