Motor vehicles-initially at least-had to share the streets and traffic patterns with trolleys, streetcars, carriages, wagons, bicycles, horses, and pedestrians, which were moving at varying speeds, took up more or less space, and served different needs. Rae, “that had never been designed for it and were about as poorly adapted to it as it was possible to be.” Furthermore, all other forms of transportation did not cease to exist once the automobile came on the scene. The automobile initially had to function on a street system, according to historian John B.

This centralizing orientation of the city ultimately was lost in most places because of the ubiquity of cars and trucks, which undermined such a familiar design.Ĭity streets had usually followed the patterns of the streetcars and transportation routes before them, but it was only a matter of time before cars outgrew the limits of the old routes. Streetcar lines all converged downtown, radiating outward from the heart of the city. But since the end of World War II especially, the car has shaped American cities and their suburbs so deeply that we can sometimes take its impact for granted.Ĭars not only replaced rail service and a good deal of pedestrianism, but they strongly influenced inner-city growth in areas lacking any kind of transportation service and pushed the suburban boundaries outward “beyond the reach of the trolleys.” Rails had connected urban cores with their periphery before the automobile, but in a different way. To say that there had been congestion in central cities from the confluence of horses, carriages, bicycles, and streetcars for years prior to the introduction of the automobile does not mean the automobile’s impact on cities was not unique and profound it simply reconfirms that transportation technology has always been a powerful force in making and remaking cities. Optimists and pessimists would agree, however, that the automobile was hardly a neutral force in urban physical development. To others, the swath cut through cities by the automobile undermined urban physical integrity, generated unending sprawl, and sabotaged the sense of community by emphasizing personal choice at the expense of the interest of the many. Some regarded this phenomenon as positive: the emergence of a private mass-transit technology effectively replacing public mass transit, and in doing so permitting settlement over a wide area and offering car owners the flexibility to “work, shop, and enjoy recreation” almost anywhere and at any time. “The car has reshaped the nation’s landscape,” an observer noted, “making it virtually unrecognizable from the unpaved version of the previous century.” Indeed, the transformation of American cities by motorized vehicles was a twentieth-century phenomenon, building upon the impact of transportation technology before it-especially the railroad and the streetcar-and leaving its own unique physical imprint. Three lines of business make up our enterprise, employing more than 1,700 team members nationwide.Almost like a plough breaking the plains, the automobile transformed cities. Our strong company culture and commitment to our employees have also earned us spots among the Top 100 Places to Work with the Dallas Morning News and on the list of Top 150 National Places to Work. Now over a billion dollar, privately held corporation, Interstate thrives on our innovation and our old-fashioned business principles – founded on treating others like we would like to be treated. We are committed to standing behind everything we do and delivering the excellence that professionals trust.

Guided by a set of common values, we’re committed to enriching lives as we deliver the most trustworthy source of power to the world – now, and for generations to come.Īt Interstate we are driven by our unique combination of proven experience, integrity and heart – determined to meet the needs of those we serve today, while thinking ahead to what they’ll need tomorrow. Our business is powered by a Distributor network of 300 wholesale warehouses and backed up by more than 200,000 Dealers around the world as well as 200 All Battery Center franchise stores. 1 replacement brand battery in North America.

Built to top industry standards, Interstate Batteries has been technician’s choice for 9 years and counting and is the No.

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