It’s definitely complicated. Feedback loops of bad infrastructure planning leading to bad transit which leads to car dependency which leads to car-first infrastructure which is bad…
When I need think about when to catch a bus because the service is infrequent and I don’t want to wait 20 minutes, it usually means that the bus route is circuitous and won’t get me to my destination without some transfers. It’s usually easier to just drive directly even though there’s many costs, hidden and otherwise.
But you’ve got a good point; there’s not as much cultural appreciation for projects that simply benefit the community - “without profit, what’s the motive” seems to be the reasoning.
ETA - there’s no problem evicting people from land to build AI datacentres and highways. But to do so for a train? The horror. My freedom!
It’s definitely complicated. Feedback loops of bad infrastructure planning leading to bad transit which leads to car dependency which leads to car-first infrastructure which is bad…
When I need think about when to catch a bus because the service is infrequent and I don’t want to wait 20 minutes, it usually means that the bus route is circuitous and won’t get me to my destination without some transfers. It’s usually easier to just drive directly even though there’s many costs, hidden and otherwise.
And then there’s the sheer cost of trains in anglophone countries..
But you’ve got a good point; there’s not as much cultural appreciation for projects that simply benefit the community - “without profit, what’s the motive” seems to be the reasoning.
ETA - there’s no problem evicting people from land to build AI datacentres and highways. But to do so for a train? The horror. My freedom!