This is an actual conspiracy, not a conspiracy theory. Some of the replies and quotes show people who don't read. General Motors and related companies were actually convicted of doing this.
@davidho.bsky.social they reference it in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The villain buys a street car line and dismantles it so people have to take his freeway
Aug 3, 2026, 11:13 PM@davidho.bsky.social complicated
This was part of it yes
Part of it was also… many people wanted to drive, and they had reasons.
Many streetcars were built by private real estate speculators to sell lots and developments, then promptly neglected. Some streetcars were made of wood. Many did not have heat and were very cold in winter.
Many of them were single-track and had 1-2 cars total for huge stretches. So it would often be a 45 minute to 2 hour wait. This was less true in cities (where they were often well-maintained), but in fringes of cities or interurbans, it was a long wait.
GM *did* buy and rip out many streetcars in city cores. But just as often, cities ripped them out themselves.
In many cases, buses were a legit upgrade to the streetcar.
It’s a mixed bag.
Aug 3, 2026, 11:14 PM@davidho.bsky.social a less discussed fact is many streetcars were torn out during WWII due to reduced demand + steel was needed in the war effort. A lot of abandoned railways got ripped up for steel too.
Aug 3, 2026, 11:20 PM@Elizafox@social.treehouse.systems @davidho.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy nowadays they neglect public transit on purpose to force people to use cars instead, while claiming cars are always better