> A lot of infrastructure-related problems in the big cities are caused > by the massive collapse of tax revenues due to the "White flight" > phenomenon that began in the '60s
Problem seems deeper than that to me. I grew up in New York City. Along the west side of Manhattan was an elevated highway which was a major artery for trucks. Lots of boats docked along Manhattan. Food and goods coming into the US. Food and goods being shipped out of the US. West side highway was a link between docks and the GW bridge to highways branching out all over the NE US. The west side highway was built because of the massive truck congestion on streets.
Well, the East side highway began colapsing. I remember a pic of a huge truck which just dropped thru the highway onto the street below.
Over the years, more sections of the West Side Highway were shut down and traffic shunted to the streets below.
Commercial trucking pays a lot of $$ for wear and tear on roads. But the West side highway was still not repaired back in the 1980s (the last time I drove on it).
This country just does not like allocating cash for infrastructure repair and upkeep. Politicians would much rather fund new public works projects to put $$ in the pockets of people who give them fat donations.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-08-02 07:45 pm (UTC)> by the massive collapse of tax revenues due to the "White flight"
> phenomenon that began in the '60s
Problem seems deeper than that to me. I grew up in New York City. Along the west side of Manhattan was an elevated highway which was a major artery for trucks. Lots of boats docked along Manhattan. Food and goods coming into the US. Food and goods being shipped out of the US. West side highway was a link between docks and the GW bridge to highways branching out all over the NE US. The west side highway was built because of the massive truck congestion on streets.
Well, the East side highway began colapsing. I remember a pic of a huge truck which just dropped thru the highway onto the street below.
Over the years, more sections of the West Side Highway were shut down and traffic shunted to the streets below.
Commercial trucking pays a lot of $$ for wear and tear on roads. But the West side highway was still not repaired back in the 1980s (the last time I drove on it).
This country just does not like allocating cash for infrastructure repair and upkeep. Politicians would much rather fund new public works projects to put $$ in the pockets of people who give them fat donations.