Quote:
Originally Posted by bale002
I don't agree with most of runwithscissors wrote, largely because they are excuses.
The main real reason is the latter part ... they want you to drive, all the funds go to highways.
The rest is brainwashing of the sheople.
The Tri-Rail system was designed to fail, or at best to be mediocre. Just look at the (lack of) quality of the cars, not to mention the ridiculous scheduling, the lack of express trains, etc., in short, a joke.
It should take only 40 minutes in a bullet train to do West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Ft Lauderdale-Miami.
In some respects, the US is assbackwards and up to half a century behind Japan and Europe, public transportation is one of those, by design.
(Also worthy of mention are the depth and sophistication of the cellphone system and the quality of high-speed internet.)
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Yeah no kidding about my statements are true about funding and what about PEOPLE WANTING to drive. My DH is an international expert in public transportation, speaking around the world and working as general manager of several major city transit authorities. I know a little something about the subject.
I don't even know where to begin with your assertions. No offense but I'm guessing you've never even been a real commuter in a non NYC city. And I'm guessing you've never lived in Europe. I've done both. In fact I've resided in 4 countries over the years. I've taken quite a few trains, busses but even more TAXIS.
Sorry, I think you're living in an imaginary world. I love the Jetsons but that doesn't mean the needs of the USA came to equal the needs of other countries by this century. What's the purpose of comparing Europe and Japan with the USA?
It's not in the least bit comparable. Of course Europe's whole transportation outlook is different. Because historically EUROPEANS COULD NOT AFFORD CARS. Going back to my initial postion that you disagree with.
In 1976 it cost the average Greek citizen $18,000 in taxes alone for a car. Then you could only drive on alternate days due to pollution impacts and the density of the Athens area. Even if you were willing to accept a two seater Flintstones car from Russia, you couldn't afford one. In case you're too young to remember, a typical working US citizen was making about a hundred dollars a week in 1976. My Greek relatives are all professional, MDs, engineers etc and nobody in the family had any cars until about the late 70's and that means one car shared by a cardiologist and pediatrician husb and wife. It took a lifetime of saving for it.
By the way, there were no mortgages or credit systems at the time. Everything was a cash basis and the primary sharing of wealth was vis a vis the dowry system between families. The EU has changed things some, but still, the basis for public transit in Europe remains the same.
You say excuses. I don't get it.
Excuses by the US citizens to not use public trans? Americans love their cars and always have. Just look at the 1950's even teenagers were car crazy and DROVE. Drive in food, drive in movies road trips etc. Route 66 movies LOL.
I don't see people willing to pay for trans development. The OP said she wanted to commute 30 miles initially until she had to do it, now she understands its a PITA. And she's only commuting 15 miles not 30. That's a whole different thing. And illustrates that she never even HAD to use public trans in her former midwestern town because most of her life revolved around 2-3 miles. Not to mention she isn't even considering her DRIVE to the train or bus, but it's not her fault she's just venting since she has no experience in commuting with public trans.
Try and find public trans, by the way, In ATLANTIC CITY home of casino madness. A HUGE employeer in South Jersey. NO, you will find the entire inbound median strip and parking lots for employees who DRIVE TO WORK. From far. I'm saying this in defense of Tri-Rail.
LOL about a "bullet train". How about a couple of normal speed options before talking high speed.
OK now about commuting. I looked at the defamed Tri-Rail and assert "you guys" are unrealistic.
Having been a life long train commuter, I can tell you that Tri Rail is pretty typical. Tri Rail positions itself to be a commuter option. Comparing to my Regional Rail it's almost exactly the same if not better. And the frequency is the same and our trains have been around for decades so bashing the "quality of the cars" is something that commuters don't even think about. Go sit on our smelly subways in Phila that have been around for 50 years and tell me about "cars" LOL. There's not exactly a big DEMAND for UNDERGROUND Phila style subway cars right now in other cities.
NOT INCLUDING the drive to the train:
WPB to Miami is 75 driving miles. Using driving miles as just a baseline.
[Regional Rail] Tri Rail schedule that I saw takes 1 hr 45 minutes.
My 30 mile daily commute in Phila on Regional Rail takes 1 hour.
My 30 mile on AMTRAK (NOT Regional Rail and higher speed fewer stops) takes 30 minutes and costs from 24.00 to 40.00 thereby making that option non commuter.
If you want to call a 75 mile daily train ride a "commute" fine, although I disagree, most people who live in WPB would never consider a daily ride to Miami for a "commute" or at least they'd consider it a commute with hardship. Who is going to plan to give up 150 miles per day out of their lives unless with extenuating circumstances.
Let's review a different more common and more analogous commute.
Trenton NJ to NYC. Popular among higher salaried persons who chose to live in NJ or PA and work in NYC. FIRST of all they have to DRIVE to the TRAIN. Then....
The drive time from Trenton NJ to NYC is approximately at least 1.5 hours if not 2 in traffic. approx 70 miles. Similar distance to WPB to Miami.
The Regional Rail schedule is about 1.25 hours to 1.75 hours travel time.
Amtrak again, is quicker, with fewer stops, about 1 hour and costs from $36.00 to $51.00 again, making it incompatible for commuters.
I realize that since you work from home this is just a position you hold based on opinion but if you actually rode the various public transit systems around the world I think you'd see they are quite similar everywhere even here. Except for the higher use rates in other countries.
You distain my postion about economics entering into the equation but tell me who you know who actually takes Greyhound? I'd love to take the Amtrak tourist trains all around the country but I can't tell you one single family I know who ever tried them. Other than other train lovers. Why? Because they're in a hurry all the time, have LIMITED VACATION TIME (unlike EUROPE) and want to fly real quick to their single destination. Those people who won't or cant afford to fly might drive to a family vacation. But for sure they wont pay for the trains.
BY the way in many European cities you go home for a couple of hours during the day, and return later, thereby allowing for the longer time required to take mass trans versus driving. Like I said lifestyles not comparable.
I don't even consider anything about JAPAN to compare to the US, since in JAPAN people rent PODS instead of hotel rooms. A hard sided sleeping bag smaller than my dog's kennel LOL. ODDLY, Japanese PODS are said to be for business men who are too tired to go home. Wonder what's wrong with that fantastic JAPANESE bullet train system that we're so far behind of?
Public demand will drive the systems so until Americans actually WANT mass trans it's going to remain pretty much the way it is. But I feel it's unfounded to bash the So Fl Regional Rail organization and REALLY unfounded to assert it was designed to fail.
Although I bash the government for lack of funding, I also believe that apathy is the number one problem in America evidenced by the pathetic lack of voting and ridiculous depth of bad behaviors of our politicians that continues to go unpunished and hidden since the public really could care less about what goes on in state capitols and Washington DC. Americans seem to love to complain about trains all the while ignoring that lobbyists are controling every aspect of their lives. INCLUDING having glamorous mass transit systems.
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