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China values social benefits over money, yet their economy has grown tremendously over the same 10 years of building high-speed rail. Social benefits will be more important in the long run!
Also, part of the reason why is due to China's communism. Communism is able to make decisions quicker and also bring a larger work force.
China values social benefits over money, yet their economy has grown tremendously over the same 10 years of building high-speed rail. Social benefits will be more important in the long run!
Agreed about social benefits! It's still unfathomable to me that the U.S. doesn't see that. A healthy society can't be centered around 'securing your home and getting all of your information through TV' coupled with your only contact with the outside world consisting of drive-thru exchanges and Wal-Mart cashiers.
Agreed about social benefits! It's still unfathomable to me that the U.S. doesn't see that. A healthy society can't be centered around 'securing your home and getting all of your information through TV' coupled with your only contact with the outside world consisting of drive-thru exchanges and Wal-Mart cashiers.
At one time, Americans did think about social benefits. The Van Sweringen Brothers for instance pretty much built up Shaker Heights, Ohio and connected it to Downtown Cleveland with a streetcar (now light rail) system. They did it primarily to make money but the positive externalities associated with the whole plan were enormous. It was a very good example of a planned community that benefited individuals of all ages and economic backgrounds. Many more examples of so called "streetcar suburbs" abound throughout the Eastern U.S. China on the other hand had a very hard time establishing social benefits a century to a century and a half ago. From the demise of the Qing Dynasty due to corruption and extreme complacency to the failed opportunities of the Nationalist Government during the Nanjing Decade, there were few examples of any government working together with both capitalists and ordinary citizens to make life better for everyone.
Then sometime in the last quarter of the 20th century, a switch flipped, China became more progressive, and America became a lot more complacent. I guess this happens to all societies. It's like a pendulum swing.
Stands to reason when you have a crap load of people that need transportation, and your skies are choked with pollution, that everyone using cars is not going to work. The roads would all have to be 8 lane freeways to handle the traffic, too expensive, add to that, personal income levels are not high enough for the average Chinese person to afford a car. And many who would buy a car would get one of the models with zero safety equipment and accident deaths would be astronomical. It makes sense for them to invest in mass transit.
However, from my American perspective, there is no greater feeling of freedom and independence, than owning your own car and driving wherever you want, whenever you want. In America, the problem nobody wants to talk about with public transportation is the awkward or unpleasant social situations you can get into. The airlines are about the only example left of Americans having to deal with other people when traveling, the freaks, rude people, loud people, drunk people, scary people, smelly people. Everyone hates flying for that reason. Americans hate that, they want private compartments with a lock on the door so they can sit in peace and quiet. When the airlines, train and bus companies figure that out, you will see a great resurgence in public transportation. Those compartments also have to be comfortable, solid, have a window, and preferably have a little TV/monitor with internet access. Should have a decent sound system that won't disturb the passenger in the next compartment.
Agreed about social benefits! It's still unfathomable to me that the U.S. doesn't see that. A healthy society can't be centered around 'securing your home and getting all of your information through TV' coupled with your only contact with the outside world consisting of drive-thru exchanges and Wal-Mart cashiers.
Why invest in public transportation when it is cheaper and more convenient to buy your own cars?
Although I believe US should invest more in public transportation, the convenience provided by car ownership makes it a hard sale to many Americans.
Stands to reason when you have a crap load of people that need transportation, and your skies are choked with pollution, that everyone using cars is not going to work. The roads would all have to be 8 lane freeways to handle the traffic, too expensive, add to that, personal income levels are not high enough for the average Chinese person to afford a car. And many who would buy a car would get one of the models with zero safety equipment and accident deaths would be astronomical. It makes sense for them to invest in mass transit.
However, from my American perspective, there is no greater feeling of freedom and independence, than owning your own car and driving wherever you want, whenever you want. In America, the problem nobody wants to talk about with public transportation is the awkward or unpleasant social situations you can get into. The airlines are about the only example left of Americans having to deal with other people when traveling, the freaks, rude people, loud people, drunk people, scary people, smelly people. Everyone hates flying for that reason. Americans hate that, they want private compartments with a lock on the door so they can sit in peace and quiet. When the airlines, train and bus companies figure that out, you will see a great resurgence in public transportation. Those compartments also have to be comfortable, solid, have a window, and preferably have a little TV/monitor with internet access. Should have a decent sound system that won't disturb the passenger in the next compartment.
I doubt most Americans would be able to or want to pay for that kind of services.
Stands to reason when you have a crap load of people that need transportation, and your skies are choked with pollution, that everyone using cars is not going to work. The roads would all have to be 8 lane freeways to handle the traffic, too expensive, add to that, personal income levels are not high enough for the average Chinese person to afford a car. And many who would buy a car would get one of the models with zero safety equipment and accident deaths would be astronomical. It makes sense for them to invest in mass transit.
However, from my American perspective, there is no greater feeling of freedom and independence, than owning your own car and driving wherever you want, whenever you want. In America, the problem nobody wants to talk about with public transportation is the awkward or unpleasant social situations you can get into. The airlines are about the only example left of Americans having to deal with other people when traveling, the freaks, rude people, loud people, drunk people, scary people, smelly people. Everyone hates flying for that reason. Americans hate that, they want private compartments with a lock on the door so they can sit in peace and quiet. When the airlines, train and bus companies figure that out, you will see a great resurgence in public transportation. Those compartments also have to be comfortable, solid, have a window, and preferably have a little TV/monitor with internet access. Should have a decent sound system that won't disturb the passenger in the next compartment.
Millions of Chinese do have cars and the freeways are many and often extremely busy. They have the same issues as we have, and you in the US have, of often long commutes, congestion and yes, the pollution can be bad.
We had a couple of trips on the newer high speed trains last year in China and they are excellent. We found the people were very courteous and the whole experience was excellent.
I do know what you mean about the social situations in the US when travelling on public transport. We have encountered a few scary situations.
The changes we have seen in China between our first visit in 1988 and our last one in 2017 are massive. I just wish we had trains like theirs.
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