One of the earliest and best known examples of how a transportation system affects economic development was the Silk Road, a series of trade routes in use for about 1500 years, starting around 139 BCE when the Han Dynasty united China. The route began in Changan (Xian) and edged along Mongolia in Central Asia, making stops in this region in the important trading cities of Kashgar (today called Kashi, at China's western border) and Samarkand. The route then passed through the Middle East, and ended at its westernmost point at Constantinople. Branch routes extended south to Kabul and Ormuz and to India. Because parts of the Silk Road were quite dangerous, merchant caravans traded locally or in politically protected regions, offering silk, gold, jade, tea, and spices. Eventually sea routes connected to other parts of the Silk Road reaching coastal regions. These sea routes were maintained by Arab traders until Europeans took control around the 15th century due to improved sea-faring technologies. As shipping technology continued to develop, it became easier and faster to transport goods by sea. By the 16th century, the Silk Road had largely fallen out of use (Rodrigue, pars. 1-5).
For a fuller discussion of the Silk Road, see below.
http://www.history.com/topics/silk-road
For an example of how transportation affects economic development, consider this: today, because maritime container shipping crisscrosses the globe, "80% of world trade is carried out through some 30 increasingly saturated ports, causing bottlenecks and delays…." This unequal access to economic opportunities has led to stagnation of trade in smaller ports and landlocked countries.
Read about the pros and cons of China's 'New Silk Road' initiative at the link below.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/china-new-silk-road-explainer/
Modern transportation systems generally consist of civil aviation, railway, roads, and water networks. Our nation's Transportation Systems Sector as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security consists of seven areas: aviation, highway infrastructure, maritime transportation, mass transit and passenger rail, pipeline systems, freight rail, and postal and shipping. According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, "transportation infrastructure is vital to the success of the five major economic sectors that account for 84% of the U.S. economy: services, manufacturing, retail, agriculture and natural resources, and transportation providers" (The Transportation Challenge, 2008, par. 6).
For an overview of transportation systems in the United States, click the following link.
