Roadscapes Wednesday: What If All Major Roads Were Private

By Nathan Young on March 11, 2015

This week on Roadscapes, I am bringing you an interesting question. What if all major roads anywhere, including America were private today. And each road charged a toll to use the road? Back in the early days, some roads in America were private. And each road charged a toll to use them. Today, mostly all roads in America and most of the world are public. But, there are still some private roads and bridges today.

For example, in Alabama there are several private toll bridges. Some roads like the Indiana Toll Road are leased to a private company, with bad results! And in France and Italy, their freeways are owned by private companies and come with tolls. The YouTube channel Tom Scott has done a video featuring a private toll road in London. And presents a different question about private roads. What if history was different, and most roads were still private? In my opinion, it would have led to less growth, and people still living in downtown areas of cities instead of sprawling out like today. Enjoy the video!