Public transportation and the development of the arteries of travel is probably something that you never think about - except when you get stuck in a traffic jam, especially one caused by one of those construction projects that just never seems to finish. You also probably never give any though to the ease with which we can travel from city to city or state to state.
Public transportation and the development of the arteries of travel is probably something that you never think about - except when you get stuck in a traffic jam, especially one caused by one of those construction projects that just never seems to finish. You also probably never give any though to the ease with which we can travel from city to city or state to state.
But it wasn't always this way. The evolution of transportation was a long and bumpy road - filled with false starts and the need to really convince people of the need of building our super-connected modern society with its super highways and other nationwide traffic networks. The eight films in this collection follow the evolution of the modern traffic system and interestingly highlight many of the congestion related problems we all experience in our daily lives.
Here are the contents of each of the films in the public transportation and mass transit history film collection:
Arteries of New York City (1941)
This film explains the traffic planning for all the roads leading into and out of New York City and shows the efforts that are being taken to plan for future transportation and infrastructure needs so the city could keep growing and being a vibrant center of life and business. It also presents one of the earliest discussions of the new phenomenon of rush hour traffic. Producer: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films |
At This Moment (1954)
This film explores the importance of the railroad and the railway system as a cornerstone of the 1950s American economy. Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization |
Conquering Roads (1937)
This film talks about the need for developing a highway system to support the travel needs of the the country as the number of people who owned cars and needed to get from city to city grew. Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization |
Give Yourself the Green Light (1954)
This film was produced to promote General Motors contest to get ideas for solving traffic problems and to promote the need for the creation of an integrated Interstate Highway System. Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization |
The March of Progress (1945)
This film takes a look at the trolley system operating in San Francisco's East Bay and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. It discusses how efficient a trolley system is for moving people and how trolley systems like this one are the wave of the future for inner city transportation. Producer: Harman (Hugh) Productions |
Roads South (1943)
This film looks at Latin America and explains the various modes of transportation available there and why the airplane has been a primary transportation system throughout the countries of Latin America due to its rugged terrain and other problems that exist that prevent the creation of huge road systems that many other countries were developing that that time. Producer: Bryan (Julien) |
Transportation: Bus, Truck, and Taxi (1946)
This film explores the careers of people who move other people and goods from place to place. It talks about what it takes to become a member of one of these professions and what one can expect when doing these particular jobs. Producer: Holmes (Burton) Films, Inc. |
Wheels of Progress (1927)
This late 20s film looks at the history of U.S. transportation and discusses why there is a strong need for more and better roads to keep our country growing. Producer: U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, Department of Agriculture, Educational Film Service |
