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Our Pennsylvania Story
L E S S ON 1 3
Our Transportation Systems
Get toKnowMe
1. interstate
2. subway
3. inland
When you think of transportation, what do you think of? Cars? Buses? Trucks?
Trains? Planes? Ships?What do all of these things have in common? Theymove, carry,
bring, or ship things.
The first roads in Pennsylvania followedNative American trails. The Native Americans
traveled by foot through the forest or by canoe through the lakes and rivers. They did not
have horses.
Tomove products, you need a good road system. Our state hasmore than 118,000
miles of roads, or highways. Our state hasmore than 1,600miles of a special kind of
road – the
interstate
road.
Interstatemeans that a road crosses the state, andmaybe other states, without stop lights.
The first-four lane, nonstop road in our countrywas built in Pennsylvania. This roadwas
the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Cars and small trucks are popular ways tomove products and people. Large trucks
carry greater amounts of goods across our state and country.
Our railroadsmove large numbers of people and goods throughout the state and country.
Philadelphia has a
subway
(not the hoagie) that moves thousands of people each day.
Our airline industrymoves large amounts of people, mail, and goods throughout our
state, country, andworld. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have the largest airports in our state.
Water transportation is still a very important way tomove products in our state and
country. From the docks of Philadelphia, goods can bemoved to and from other states
and countries. Remember that ships can
move on the Delaware River, through the
Delaware Bay to the Atlantic Ocean.
Pittsburgh is our country’s largest
inland
water port. Products can be sent to 24 states
by a 9,000mile inland system of rivers. The
Monongahela River is one of the busiest
rivers for shipping coal and steel.
The Port of Erie is on Lake Erie. This port
provides away tomove goods on the Great
Lakes throughout our country and into
Canada. Ships can travel east through Lake
Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.
Railroads canmove people and products
across our state and our country.
