I had another whacky idea about a future earth. In that idea, hüge bridge-like structures would go from pole to pole, suspended by magnetic basements on both poles. Those bridges would be at the same time be defense structures, as well as space docks and surface-to-space transports for heavy stuff. Those orbital bridges, there are 4 of them, and 2 of the opposing ones ('front' and 'back') of the planet include a dock for asteroids, which get pulled from the asteroid belt, split in two, and docked on those two (for balance)
and then mined.
Will there be a subway, huh?