apush-podcast

The podcast episode discusses the interstate system in the United States and its significance. It highlights the economic benefits, such as the transportation of goods and increased efficiency in driving. The system was especially important during COVID for the delivery of essential supplies. The podcast also mentions the national defense benefits, including the ability to transport military equipment and facilitate large-scale evacuations. Lastly, the interstate system has improved mobility, reduced traffic congestion, and allowed for the expansion of urban areas and suburbs. Overall, it is considered the most important development in American history. Good afternoon and welcome back to my podcast the people person fueled by Portela's dipped Italian beef sandwiches with hot peppers I am Brandon person and on today's episode I will be talking about the interstate system Whether you love flying on the highway treating the road like a day cone of 500 Or you stay in the right lane and quiver as the cars pass by you. I'm sure you find yourself on an interstate highway consistently The purpose of today's podcast is to talk about and dive into the effects and benefits That the interstate system has brought to America since its construction and why it is the most important development in American history So buckle yourselves up and get ready to roll First things first. I want to discuss the internal economic benefits that the interstate system has brought to the United States Obviously whenever you are on the interstate system for an extended period of time You are bound to see semi trucks carrying an assortment of goods through America's highways These semis are one modern example of the industry benefits that the highways brought and bring to America However back in the model T days of Henry Ford He had to travel through side roads and country roads like Route 56 to transport goods and people When the interstate system was completed it brought new workers goods and people to places in America that had never been transported so efficiently before This effect may seem huge for the development of America Remember that this happened only a few decades after the Great Depression in World War two The system simulated an already thriving economy through Tunisian economic velocity which increased job opportunities and helped to power the economy overall Another benefit that came with this new transportation technique was the increased efficiency of driving on highways This is because of increased speed limits, straighter roads, no stop lights or stop signs Multiple lanes and everything that you can think of in a modern interstate highway This not only saved time but also gas for millions of Americans These benefits were especially highlighted during COVID when America's economy came to a screeching halt However, the interstate allowed for the continuation of the delivery of goods to remote destinations all around America In an article published in 2020 by the Reason Foundation Author Baruch Fagenbaum states The road system enables trucks to reach grocery stores daily with supplies and food for retailers to restock their shelves with and for Americans to buy what they need As companies and governments seek to buy, deliver, and transport personal protective equipment and ventilators This saved countless lives as Americans could receive the medical treatment they needed and could purchase the goods necessary to survive due to the efficiency of the interstate system Walking through Meijer with the Arrows during 2020, you'd think it's all just a weird experience But without the interstate highways and the truckers that carried the goods across the country There wouldn't have been any food or supplies there in the first place. Remember the whole toilet paper thing? Yeah For our first sponsor of the program We would like to thank Lerner and Rowe as they continue to commit their time and resources to helping those injured in car Motorcycle and truck crashes. The best auto wreck lawyers in Chicagoland will get you the damages you want, guaranteed And of course, don't forget to call Moving on from COVID, hopefully for the final time I would like to touch on the improvements in national defense that may not come to mind when thinking about the interstate system During the time of Eisenhower passing the Federal Aid Highway Act America was in a cold war with Russia where guns and weapons were not being fired and there are no guns being fought But both sides strengthened their nuclear powers and economies as much as possible in case of a future conflict This even extended into space as the space race took place between the two competitors However, country-backed worlds are not sufficient to transport large military vessels like tanks, missiles, weapons, and other machinery Necessary for war as the entirety of the country needed to prepare for potential nuclear war Also, the long stretches of highways can be used for potential emergency landings of aircraft Apparently hiding under school desks was a potential safe spot in case nuclear weapons are employed. Oh, how far science has come Back to the point. Another underlying benefit of the interstate system is how it allowed for much larger evacuations of areas with high population densities like Chicago and Los Angeles If you think about Chicago There are a couple of interstate highways that connect the inner city and extend out into the suburbs and beyond This includes Interstate 55, I-80, I-88, I-994, I-57, I-392, I-394, I-395, all those These are all potential routes of evacuation in which the millions of people in Chicago land can leave the area in a timely manner Unfortunately, the Great Route 66 would not be able to handle this traffic load and would ultimately lead to complete gridlock Sorry, Chuck, got you Getting back to the defense benefits side. In 2006, the Department of Transportation published an article that said, quote, the interstate system has provided for defense access and readiness Most recently with the mobilization prior to Operation Desert Storm, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, end quote While the article may be somewhat outdated, the principles of its use in 2006 still apply today America can easily move and transport military weapons and soldiers to the interstate system during any point I'd now like to stop for five seconds for podcast identification here This is Brandon Persson, and you're listening to The People Persson Before returning to this episode, I'd like to thank our second sponsor, Third King Never forget that at BK, you can always have it your way Finally, we can return to the last leg of our podcast here today Lastly, I would like to touch on how the interstate system can be another benefit, which some people might have dissenting arguments and may be controversial, the traffic exemption that it does release I know, I know, you spend countless hours each week sitting on a Stevenson. I know the Dan Ryan seems to never move, I get it But just think about how the small city streets would get clogged up by the daily traffic that Chicago experiences daily I'd never thought that creating the option of taking an interstate highway could save precious time It could be used to accomplish tasks and also save money on gas, and taking the interstate is generally more efficient Also, the access to interstate highways has expanded urban cities in their suburbs farther out It has led to a wider choice of choosing where to live as people can trail in their jobs each morning without spending too much time on the road An article published in 2021 by Haley Phelps included a statement from University of Pennsylvania's Gildas Dernatton that said, quote, interstate highways increase mobility in urban areas by reducing trail times for cars, businesses, and trucks, while lessening traffic congestion on non-interstate roads. The addition of the interstate also allowed cities to expand their physical space In a world where people can only walk or ride a horse, cities cannot be very big In a world with widely available transit and cars, cities can grow a lot bigger, end quote. Suburb life would probably not be able to thrive without interstate, since it would be too far away and disconnected from the main economic hubs of America The interstate by itself would not be as rich as it would be if it was not connected to Chicago and its coast suburbs The outstretch that the interstate systems have had in our communities today is yet another factor into why it was the most important development of American history Thank you for listening to my podcast. I hope you enjoy it here on the Feeble Person Don't forget to subscribe and share the podcast to grow our connections This has been Brandon Person talking about the interstate system and its significance to the United States Please stay tuned for next week's episode and as always Stay or Die