Technology, Transportation, and Society: Past, Present, Future

Introduction: The Interlinked Nature of Technology, Transportation, and Society

Technology, transportation, and society are three interlinked areas. Technology determines what transportation will exist. The transportation that exists shapes how we live, and the nature of society in turn influences what transportation is created.

Transportation systems have developed considerably over the last century, giving rise to the society we currently have. The major development of recent decades has been in technology, which is likely to have a significant impact on future transportation systems.

Current transportation systems have also produced several problems, mostly related to environmental and quality-of-life issues. Understanding these problems is essential for better planning and application of future transportation systems.

To look into the future of transportation, it is necessary to first look back at its history. By examining where transportation has evolved from, it becomes possible to predict how it will continue to evolve.

A Brief History of Transportation

The transportation of today does not exist in isolation, but as part of a timeline of constant evolution in which every new development improves upon the last. The automobile that everyone is familiar with today would not exist without the invention of the wheel or the electric motor.

By examining the history of transportation, it is possible to see how our current systems have evolved — and to find clues for predicting how transportation will continue to develop. The history of transportation encompasses four specific areas: wheeled vehicles, ships, rail, and air transport. Put more simply, there are four ways of travelling: by land, by sea, by train, and by plane. The development of each of these areas is discussed in turn below.

The history of travelling by land begins not with the development of vehicles, but with the development of roads. Ancient civilizations needed to transport materials and to travel between different townships, and this need resulted in the development of both roads and bridges.

The earliest of these roads date back to around 3500 BC and were built by the Sumerians. The Chinese were the first to construct a permanent road system, around 1000 BC. The Romans also built significant road structures, with approximately 53,000 miles of roads constructed throughout their empire (Encyclopedia.com, 2002).

The second major development after roads was the two-wheeled cart, also developed by the Sumerians around 3000 BC. This was followed by the four-wheeled chariots developed by the Egyptians and Greeks, which were the precursors to the carriages that later became the dominant mode of transport.

Roads and horse-drawn vehicles remained much the same until the twentieth century, when the internal combustion engine enabled the development of automobiles, which completely replaced the horse and cart. The popularity of automobiles also transformed roads. While dirt roads were sufficient for horse and cart, automobiles required a more durable surface. Concrete roads were the result, with the first concrete road in the United States built in Detroit in 1908 (Seitz, 2001).

During the 1930s, highways began to be constructed, including the German Autobahn. In the United States, turnpikes were created, and by 1980 the Federal Interstate Highway System was completed (Seitz, 2001). These developments produced our current infrastructure: complex permanent road systems, highly developed vehicles, and a society in which the automobile is the primary means of personal travel.

Transport by water dates back to ancient civilizations and is one of the earliest forms of transport. Ancient civilizations with few other means of transport needed to live in close proximity to water, usually a river. Without mechanical or electrical devices, a river provided an excellent means of transportation. Canoes and transport vessels date as far back as 6300 BC.

Vessels for sailing the sea used wind as a natural source of power — one of the few readily available energy sources in the age before electricity. It was the later development of the steam engine that caused the greatest change in shipping. Steamships replaced sailing ships, offering greater power, improved safety, higher speed, and the ability to carry more cargo (Seitz, 2001). This enabled greater travel and increased trade. Further development followed as diesel power replaced steam.

Rail transport began in 1825 in England when the first steam train entered operation (Seitz, 2001). By 1893, trains were able to travel at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (Seitz, 2001). One of the major advantages of the steam train was its ability to carry heavy loads, which reduced dependence on waterways for transport and made settlements away from waterways viable.

By 1900, passenger trains had become comfortable means of travel, featuring dining cars and heating. Passenger trains replaced stagecoaches because of their superior speed and comfort (Seitz, 2001).

The most recent major development in transportation is air travel. Travel by plane began in 1903 with the Wright brothers' first flight. World War I accelerated its development, and World War II drove further advances, including the creation of the first jet aircraft (Seitz, 2001).

Commercial aircraft began to be produced after World War II, and travel by plane became increasingly common. By the end of the twentieth century, air travel had largely replaced long-distance passenger train travel, and it is now used for passenger transport, freight, and as a platform for military operations.

The Transportation of Today

Today, travel by land is a significant and accepted part of everyday life. The majority of individuals travel by car frequently, and similar vehicles such as buses and motorcycles are equally common. Society itself is organized around automobile transport, with the car as the primary means of individual travel.

This shapes the structure of society, requiring complex road systems that include not only the roads themselves but also supporting features such as traffic lights and stop signs. There is also a complex system of regulations and bureaucracy supporting the transport system: road rules are established to promote safety, and government departments and police are required to ensure those rules are followed.

Sea travel takes several modern forms and serves several purposes. Shipping remains the primary means of transporting goods between nations, with international trade higher today than at any other point in history. Fewer individuals travel by ship, as air travel is considerably faster. Travel by boat has therefore become largely a recreational activity, with individuals taking cruise holidays and engaging in water sports. Military use of ships and submarines also continues.

Travel by train is still used for both passenger and freight transport, though it has become a less dominant method as planes and automobiles have grown in popularity. However, rail has adapted to the demands of modern society. With traffic congestion a persistent problem in many cities, rail services have evolved into tram and monorail systems. These public transport options provide connections between key locations while avoiding the problems of road congestion.

Travel by plane has become a popular and convenient means of transport. Individuals can travel between distant locations quickly, conveniently, and at relatively low cost. Air transport is also widely used to move mail and freight. In addition, air power has transformed the nature of warfare, with aircraft capable of causing destruction on a large scale and enabling entire new categories of weapons to be developed.

Works Cited

Ball, D., & McCulloch, W. (1999). International Business. New York: McGraw Hill.

Benjamin, P. (1973). Analysis of Dualmode Systems in an Urban Area. U.S. Department of Transportation.

Bishop, R. (2001). Whatever happened to Automated Highway Systems (AHS)? Traffic Technology International, Aug–Sep 2001.

Bourland, G. N. (2001). Las Colinas: The Inside Story of America's Premier Urban Development. Dallas, TX: HappyMe Publishing.

Brockman, J. (2000). The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2000 Years. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Dorf, R. C. (2001). Technology, Humans, and Society. New York: Academic Press.

Eisen, J. (1999). Suppressed Inventions and Other Discoveries. New York: Avery Publishing.

Encyclopedia.com. (2002). Transportation over land. Tucows.

Federal Railroad Administration. (2000). Transportation and the Environment: An Annotated Bibliography. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Fellmann, J., Getis, A., & Getis, J. (1996). Human Geography. Dubuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark Publishers.

James Integrated Technologies. (2002). Intelligent transportation.

Litman, T. (1999). Reinventing Transportation: Exploring the Paradigm Shift Needed to Reconcile Transportation and Sustainability Objectives. Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Canada.

Lowe, M. (1990). Alternatives to the Automobile: Transport for Livable Cities. Worldwatch, 98.

Seitz, R. S. (2001). A Brief History of Transportation. Huntsville: [University].

Washington University. (2002). Maglev quicklinks. http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/maglevq.htm