The great American transport crisis tells us something

From the Baltimore bridge collapse to chaos at Boeing, what look like discrete problems are in fact part of a wider dysfunction

Marine One with US President Joe Biden on board passes over the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship Dali in Dundalk, Maryland, on April 5. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Transport in America is having a crisis moment. You can see it in the headlines – from the debacle at Boeing, through to the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, to the fact that the US can’t even build its own commercial ships any more.

Adding to this list of woes are longer-term problems like the lack of good overland train travel, poorly maintained roads and post-pandemic declines in the safety and reliability of city transit systems.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.