Transportation corridors change over time. Ultimately, transportation must meet the current needs of society. New technology, however, may require the adaptation of existing infrastructure to function effectively.

Railroads, for example, start and stop at fixed places, and towns grew up around those centralized areas. Highways, on the other hand, allow travelers to control where and when they stop, giving towns and services more flexibility of location. For early twentieth century travelers such as William Saroyan, "The thing that was best was being free...I had know this freedom in myself, most memorably, most unforgettably, getting into my car, going and not stopping until I felt like it."

There have been a number of transportation modes in Illinois' history. Rivers, railroads, and roads--including the National road, Route 40, and the Interstate Highway system--have facilitated the movement of goods and people.

Oftentimes, changes in transportation are seen as progressive. Not all changes are met with enthusiasm, however. The railroad, for example, was not a boon to the town of York, Illinois; the main warehouse in the village was "a place of considerable business until the building of the railroad robbed the town of its early importance."

Also, different modes of transportation exist concurrently and can be complimentary. Even today, for example, roads and railroads often run parallel to each other. This street and railroad are in Vandalia, Illinois.

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Comparisons

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