mostly because we have this, I want it done now type feeling and we don't want to wait for buses...
Originally posted by prashant bhardwaj:
I want to know why in the US, despite rising oil prices and concerns about global warming, we have no or scant public transport barring a few major cities?
Because public transit (at least other than busses and taxi) require huge amounts of money to design and build
Originally posted by prashant bhardwaj:
How about more work from home options ?
I'm a fan of telecommuting (i'm doing it right now), however there are some serious problems with it.
Originally posted by Joe Ess:
I'm a fan of telecommuting, however there are some serious problems with it. In my own experience, I've had some casual conversations and relationships around the office that solved some big problems. Those relationships would not be there if I were not in the office 32 hours a week.
But most transit systems do not provide such support for travel from one outlying region to another outlying region. You usually need to go in to the center first, then come out in whatever direction is needed.
Originally posted by Mike Simmons:
most mass transit systems (in the US at least) tend to be reasonably good at transporting people in to the center of a metropolitan area, in the morning, and out of that same area, in the evening.
Originally posted by Mike Simmons:
They've evolved an alternate informal mass-transit system, slugging. Which is a pretty cool phenomenon, in my opinion.
Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
New York, in contrast, has a grid subway. You can go about anywhere from anywhere, typically by two or three routes.
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Originally posted by Jeanne Boyarsky:
Sure - if you consider NYC to be only Manhattan. Those of us in the outer boroughs don't have such a perfect system. It's still better than many other cities, but it's not a grid and like in Manhattan.
Since there will never be a perfect match-up of drivers and riders, a mass-transit system is needed not only to give riders a place to congregate, but also to serve as a back-up for riders who don't get rides. So slugging is only feasible where mass transit is feasible. In fact, for mass transit to be feasible you need enough users in addition to all the sluggers. (It does sound like a good idea where mass transit capacity strains to meet the demand, but that's even more unusual than ordinary mass transit feasibility.)Originally posted by Mike Simmons:
[QB]
I think the Washington DC area is rather unusual, not necessarily representative of other cities. They've evolved an alternate informal mass-transit system, slugging. Which is a pretty cool phenomenon, in my opinion. Especially since it wasn't legislated or designed - it just evolved, in response to a need. However it's possible that this phenomenon may also detract from the viability of the "official" system, the DC Metro.
Originally posted by Frank Silbermann:
Another idea is that certified tiny fuel-efficient cars could be allowed to use the high-occupancy lanes without passengers. The idea would be to have special fast lanes where there is very low fuel use per rider, by whatever means.
Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
I've mostly been in Manhattan, Brooklyn and a bit of the Bronx. I guess it depends on what "outer boroughs" mean. Clearly Staten Island has bad subway, but isn't Staten Island considered New Jersey anyway?
Brooklyn's subway is not a grid, or as interconnected as Manhattan's, but there are multiple lines a few blocks apart. Granted, the blocks between the avenues are kinda long.
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The problem with trains is that you are limited to the tracks. What we need are like trains for the main routes, but where individual vehicles can attach and separate to travel individually. Sort of like convoys. The assumption is that while vehicles are attached into groups, their per-vehicle fuel use should drastically shrink.Originally posted by Pat Farrell:
So you want special vehicles and special lanes. Very high fuel use per person moved. Sounds like a train to me.
The DC areas will be trying special "high toll" lanes soon. For people with more money than time.
Originally posted by Frank Silbermann:
What we need are like trains for the main routes, but where individual vehicles can attach and separate to travel individually. Sort of like convoys. The assumption is that while vehicles are attached into groups, their per-vehicle fuel use should drastically shrink.
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