“After World War I, the value of 5 cents plummeted, but streetcars had to get approval from municipal commissions for any fare hikes — and the idea of the 5-cent fare had become ingrained as something of a birthright among many members of the public. The public had little sympathy for the traction magnates who’d entered into these contracts. Today, many progressives and urbanists are boosters of streetcars, but back then they were often seen as a bastion of corruption — especially because of their owners’ history of violent strike-breaking. Because of these factors, some streetcar companies began going into bankruptcy as early as the 1920s.”
http://www.vox.com/2015/5/7/8562007/streetcar-history-demise
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