Taken for a Ride

Taken for a Ride -- A film by Jim Klein and Martha Olson, 1996

Taken for a Ride "exposes a driving force behind the death of public transit in America."

"Before there were freeways, traffic jams, and pollution, America had cheap, fast, flexible rapid transit. Sound like a pipe dream? The truth is, for the first part of this century, smooth, clean, and comfortable streetcars ruled America's cities. How -- and, significantly, why -- America's viable public transit system vanished is the subject of TAKEN FOR A RIDE, a provocative and disturbing film that blends investigative journalism, urban history, and social commentary to create a compelling account of a dystopian nightmare that didn't have to happen." -- From the 1996 press release announcing the film, which includes a synopsis (at http://www.pbs.org/pov/press/910.html )

Key Question: Why is U.S. public transportation the worst in the industrial world?

1. What's Good for GM...

--Get rid of streetcars to make room for cars

2. The Plot Thickens...

--NCL formed to acquire public transit lines and ruin service

3. Turning Point...

--Post W.W.II exodus from cities to suburbs; busses replace trolleys

4. End of the Line...

--National City Lines destroyed urban streetcars

5. Road to Nowhere...

--Highway lobby takes control

6. Trouble in Paradise...