Here’s a fascinating excerpt from “Magic Highway USA,” a 1958 film from when Disney had its own TV show. It imagines what the nation’s highway system might look like in the future.
I saw this film as a child in the early 1970s, and it seemed overly fanciful even then. As the film fast approaches its 50th anniversary, it’s amazing to see how few of these concepts became reality.
A lot of it is because such complex highway systems and infrastructure would be breathtakingly expensive.
Also, such pre-planned systems are an anathema to the spontaneous joy of getting into a car, driving an unfamiliar road, and seeing what was around the bend. I suspect this “magic” highway system would be a vision of hell for Route 66ers. The current interstate highway system, albeit efficient, is already bad enough with its tedium and corporate homogeneity.
(Hat tip: Tim Steil.)
Now we know where Hanna-Barbera got their ideas for The Jetsons.
While very entertaining, this concept of the future is way off the wall. Nothing would run that smoothly without problems and I notice that once you got on this “futuristic highway”, there was no way to get off except the destination you were going. So much of the thrill of the highway now is the unexpected that you come upon on the highways. Remember, the destination is not what it’s about….it’s the journey! Us Roadies would hate it! Although I did like the concept of the emergency vehicle!