The trolley companies were not purchased to make room for cars. That's a commonly held view, but they were going bankrupt. They were going bankrupt because the city regulators required the fares to be too low. And that is the long-standing situation with the NYC subways and buses. It's no longer private, but there is too much emphasis on low fares (and low subsidies).

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez wants the city to subsidize Citi Bike. And so do I. It's a miracle and also a proof of concept that Citi Bike has broken even so far. But it should be serving more people. Those people are beyond the profitable region. And they are lower income. Not only that, getting people on bikes reduces traffic congestion and mass transit congestion.