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0 pointsbluGill2y ago0 comments

Yes. There are a lot of people who are driving for things that a good public transit system could handle. Sure you can have your SUV for towing the boat to the lake - but you only do that on weekends (and no every weekend) - why are you driving to work, to church, get groceries - for most people those are tasks that that a good transit system could handle.

Note that by good transit system I mean one where you never check the schedule because the next bus/train is never more than 5 minutes (that is a maximum time). By good transit I also mean a system of transfers to express service so you can get to more distance places quickly. Nobody in the US has a good system (NYC's subways don't even come that often!), but there is no reason we can't have that, and some places in the world do have it (at least for a few).

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kelnos2y ago

> the next bus/train is never more than 5 minutes [..] there is no reason we can't have that

There's no logistical reason, but very few municipalities have the density to support that kind of frequency (via fare revenue), and taxpayers (especially in the US, but in other places as well) don't want to pay for all that unoccupied space on trains and buses.

I'm not saying that's a universal truth. There are a few places that do have the density to support that. And there are a few places that don't, but local residents are happy to pay more in taxes to get that kind of frequency. But most places are not like either of those things.

lotsoweiners2y ago

Yeah I’d totally take transit so long as it will pick me up in my driveway, is ready within a minute of me deciding I need to leave, and is a ride for only me and my family/friends.

bluGillOP2y ago

This attitude is why we can't have nice things. You have probably never experienced a system like I outlined and you won't even consider it without adding other requirements that drive up the cost until we cannot get it.

If instead you would accept that you can wait up to five minutes, and "other people" are nice enough and so you can share a space with them - we could have a nice transit system.

The five minute time I used above is not arbitrary. While there is some debate on the exact number, 5 minutes allows for a lot operational things that are really nice.

kcplate2y ago

I have ridden a whole lot of public transport all over the world and have seen what you are describing.

lotsoweiners2y ago

Just because we both want different things doesn't mean they both can't exist.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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kelnos2y ago

> the next bus/train is never more than 5 minutes [..] there is no reason we can't have that

lotsoweiners2y ago

Yeah I’d totally take transit so long as it will pick me up in my driveway, is ready within a minute of me deciding I need to leave, and is a ride for only me and my family/friends.

bluGillOP2y ago

If instead you would accept that you can wait up to five minutes, and "other people" are nice enough and so you can share a space with them - we could have a nice transit system.

The five minute time I used above is not arbitrary. While there is some debate on the exact number, 5 minutes allows for a lot operational things that are really nice.

kcplate2y ago

I have ridden a whole lot of public transport all over the world and have seen what you are describing.

lotsoweiners2y ago

Just because we both want different things doesn't mean they both can't exist.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse