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However , the economic growth that these changed transport possibilities helped to create generated consequences that would , in turn , weaken public transport as we think of it . As the automobile became more widespread , and consequently , affordable , the allure of personal vehicles grew , and it reshaped all urban planning decisions , leading to suburban sprawl and a more car-centric infrastructure — think motorways , curbside parking , and out of town retail and leisure facilities . In many towns in our country , it ’ s inconceivable to leave the house without a car , and subsequently without worrying about its unavoidable consequences , like petrol or parking . Of course , this shift brought with it issues of noise , pollution , and dreaded long commutes stuck in traffic , which led many to wonder , “ what am I doing this for ”? We re-learnt the age-old lesson of democracy : my freedom comes at the limit and at the cost of your freedom . This is embodied in the old saw “ you are not stuck in traffic ; you are traffic ”.
Now , as we navigate the twenty-first century , we ’ re exploring new ways to enhance our quality of life and we are finally back to considering all the benefits of public transport . New telecommunications and computing technologies enable other ways for us to take part in economic , social and political life .
Transforming transport
At a most basic level every human society in history has had to deal with the fact that we never knew where anything was ; that ’ s why we invented technologies like the bus stop and timetable … so we could coincide in time and space with a means of transport . Suddenly , for the first time in human evolution , everything and everyone is instrumented in some way . We know ( or could know , anyway ) where stuff is . Working out how we can use that information to create better lives ( and how the benefits can be shared out fairly ) will not be quick . In his famous study of the early years of the electricity 14