Historically, what urban problem did observers expect the automobile to eliminate?

• A. Parking problems in cities
• B. Trams
• C. Air pollution
• D. Noise pollution

Answer: (A)

In the early days of the automobile, many observers hoped that private cars would reshape cities in ways that would smooth out street life and free up urban space. They imagined streets could be redesigned around car traffic and that off-street parking would become the norm, with garages and parking ramps absorbing vehicles so that on-street parking chaos would disappear. That optimism about a car-dominated city led to the belief that parking problems in cities could be eliminated through new infrastructure and planning around the automobile.

The other options don’t fit that expectation. Trams were seen as something cars might replace or outcompete, not as a problem to be solved by cars. Air pollution and noise pollution emerged as issues associated with widespread car use rather than problems miraculously eliminated by it.