^ NYC's system also expanded continuously through the 1920s and 1930s, so I'd be surprised if ridership didn't grow, no matter what else was going on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by emathias
Have any of you ever seen an analysis of the impact of the 1918 flu on mass transit use? Did it accelerate the transition to the automobile, for example?
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Remember that Chicago 100 years ago was plagued by frequent outbreaks of disease - cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, etc. People already assumed that city living was unsanitary and their baseline expectations for health and sanitation were much lower. I doubt the 1918 flu had a major effect on public opinion one way or the other, including when it came to transit ridership.
There also wasn't a feasible way to social distance - people were forced to continue their daily commutes to work (on transit) if they wanted to earn money and eat, the government certainly wasn't gonna do a bailout in that era.