Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am against subsidising oil companies, although I am unfamiliar with the bill you refer to. The biggest change we can make to reduce our reliance on oil and cut down on pollution is to produce a viable hydrogen powered car. If that were done, I would support the govt. spending money to help create the infrastructure necessary to convert from gasoline based cars to hydrogen based cars.
How about working on the NYC subways and the LIRR first..then I'll believe them what a joke
Actually, the NYC subway runs very efficiently given that 1) the fare is a single flat rate, 2) it is cheap compared to the alternatives, 3) runs 24/7 and 4) the volume of riders it handles.
I don't know too much about the LIRR but Metro North is highly efficient, carries a lot of riders and has a very good on-time performance.
Actually, the NYC subway runs very efficiently given that 1) the fare is a single flat rate, 2) it is cheap compared to the alternatives, 3) runs 24/7 and 4) the volume of riders it handles.
I don't know too much about the LIRR but Metro North is highly efficient, carries a lot of riders and has a very good on-time performance.
How about working on the NYC subways and the LIRR first..then I'll believe them what a joke
exactly
99% of the conservatives out there are not againt a mass transit system...they are against the corrupt government system that never does the job correctly
the NY MTA is BROKE, poorly run, and corrupt.......and the layout of the system was poorly planned and never gets updated (for routes, etc)
an example: I live 12 miles from work...when there is no traffic (maybe 2am) it would take me 15 minutes.....but during rush hour it takes me almost 1 hr, I use a tank of gas (14 gallons) a week (at $3/gallon, that's $42 a week or 168 a month)..............to take mass transit I would have to DRIVE 3 miles to the trainstation, then wait for a train, to get to the terminal (jamiaca station) to pick up the subway (to flushing), then hop on a bus to get to work, and it would take me over 2.5 hours......and a monthly ticket for the long island railroad is over $375 a month...plus the subway and the bus
that's why many dont like mass transit....because the SYSTEM is just screwed up
the problem is efficiency...
which would you rather....... I live 12 miles from work...........
1) to drive when there is no traffic (maybe 2am) it would take me 15 minutes.....but during rush hour it takes me almost 1 hr, I use a tank of gas (14 gallons) a week (at $3/gallon, that's $42 a week or 168 a month)....................
.......
or..........
2)...to take mass transit I would have to DRIVE 3 miles to the train-station(belmore), then wait for a train, to get to the terminal (jamaica station) to wait to get picked up the subway (to flushing), then hop on a bus to get to work, and it would take me over 2 and a half hours......and a monthly ticket for the long island railroad is over $375 a month...plus the subway and the bus
that is the problem with mass transit ( its at least twice the time and 4 times the cost) unless you live and work only blocks away...its actually cheaper, easier, and less time consuming(and time is money) to drive, especially since you need a car( so you will already have the 'startup' cost of a car anyhow) for the other things in life (other than the work commute) life going to the beach or out to wine country.
and as far as HPR........
highspeed would do nothing for the new york metro area, unless you ar talking about an express (non-stop ) from montauk to nyc...or a express from NYC to boston or washington DC.....or a HS from NYC to Miami with stops at the major cities down the coast
and lightrail (monorail, or magnetic rail) within each city, and between some smaller cities
you could use the I95 corridor, and the I20, and even though the mid america with I70,,,,all of these interstates have a nice with median which could carry the power cables undergound, having the tains elevated, with CHARGING stations at ground level for our electric cars...also each 'elevation' could have solar awnings to help with free power from the SUN, reducing the electric consumption form generating plants
unfortunately federal regulations get in the way sometimes too
look at I95, I81, I20, I70...most have a very nice median in the middle of the two directions(except within the cities, that's why many of the interstates that go through cities have been expanded with "outer" loops(bypasses))... why does the government not allow building within that median (like the old gas stations in the medians on the old parkways)...........why hasnt anyone thought to put up a elevated HSR, with solar panels in the middle , with built in charging points at the ground level inner shoulder (for the risers for the el) for electric cars..all cableing could be underground, and solar 'wings' on the platform of the el could at least power some of it............but no one in DC (neither party) can have the COMMON SENSE to think of that
I can drive to Cleveland in 5 1/2 hours, why would I want to ride a train for 5 1/2 hours?
Give me a high-speed train that gets me there in 2 1/2 hours and everything is peachy.
Yep. A small part of the reason most Americans aren't into a proper rail system is because they have been tuned into believing that they are slow and pathetic, and nothing can be done about it. The 3-C corridor in Ohio makes perfect sense. Cleveland to Cincinnati with a stop in Columbus should take no more than two hours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JR_C
Light rail is valuable because it spurs development along its route. Why would anyone invest in a business along a bus route, when the transit authority could change the route at any time? Light rail is more permanent, and so a business can feel secure that they will remain close to transit.
Excellent points, and especially this one. Even the cities that had non-existent commuter lines as late as 1995 has grown substantially and urban development around them has followed. In fact, Dallas' first commuter line opened in 1996, months before I moved to the area.
99% of the concervatives out there are not againt a mass transit system...they are against the corrupt government system that never does the job correctly
the NY MTA is BROKE, poorly run, and corrupt.......and the layout of the system was poorly planned and never gets updated (for routes, etc)
an example: I live 12 miles from work...when there is no traffic (maybe 2am) it would take me 15 minutes.....but during rush hour it takes me almost 1 hr, I use a tank of gas (14 gallons) a week (at $3/gallon, that's $42 a week or 168 a month)..............to take mass transit I would have to DRIVE 3 miles to the trainstation, then wait for a train, to get to the treminal (jamaca station) to pick up the subway (to flushing), then hop on a bus to get to work, and it would take me over 2.5 hours......and a monthly ticket for the long island railroad is over $375 a month...plus the subway and the bus
that's why many dont like mass transit....because the SYSTEM is just screwed up
the problem is efficiency...
which would you rather....... I live 12 miles from work...........
1) to drive when there is no traffic (maybe 2am) it would take me 15 minutes.....but during rush hour it takes me almost 1 hr, I use a tank of gas (14 gallons) a week (at $3/gallon, that's $42 a week or 168 a month)....................
.......
or..........
2)...to take mass transit I would have to DRIVE 3 miles to the train-station(belmore), then wait for a train, to get to the terminal (jamaica station) to wait to get picked up the subway (to flushing), then hop on a bus to get to work, and it would take me over 2 and a half hours......and a monthly ticket for the long island railroad is over $300 a month...plus the subway and the bus
that is the problem with mass transit ( its at least twice the time and 4 times the cost) unless you live and work only blocks away...its actually cheaper, easier, and less time consuming(and time is money) to drive, especially since you need a car( so you will already have the 'startup' cost of a car anyhow) for the other things in life (other than the work commute) life going to the beach or out to wine country.
and as far as HPR........
highspeed would do nothing for the new york metro area, unless you ar talking about an express (non-stop ) from montauk to nyc...or a express from NYC to boston or washington DC.....or a HS from NYC to Miami with stops at the major cities down the coast
and lightrail (monorail, or magnetic rail) within each city, and between some smaller cities
you could use the I95 corridor, and the I20, and even though the mid america with I70,,,,all of these interstates have a nice with median which could carry the power cables undergound, having the tains elevated, with CHARGING stations at ground level for our electric cars...also each 'elevation' could have solar awnings to help with free power from the SUN, reducing the electric consumption form generating plants
unfortunately federal regulations get in the way sometimes too
look at I95, I81, I20, I70...most have a very nice median in the middle of the two directions(except within the cities, that's why many of the interstates that go through cities have been expanded with "outer" loops(bypasses))... why does the government not allow building within that median (like the old gas stations in the medians on the old parkways)...........why hasnt anyone thought to put up a elevated HSR, with solar panels in the middle , with built in charging points at the ground level inner shoulder (for the risers for the el) for electric cars..all cableing could be underground, and solar 'wings' on the platform of the el could at least power some of it............but no one in DC (neither party) can have the COMMON SENSE to think of that
I know we have had this discussion before and as I said then, it really depends on your circumstances. I lived about 5 miles from White Plains train station. I would leave home 15 minutes before the train I wanted to catch, park at the station and be at my office in NYC 45 minutes later. 60 minutes door to door .. faster and cheaper than I could do it driving and almost always on time.
The problem the MTA has financially is 1) the political pressure to maintain fares low, 2) the difficulty of increasing capacity and the size of the network and 3) the sheer cost of capital expenditure. I do not agree that it is "corrupt". But it does have to deal with the demands of politicians in the three states it serves as well as in NYC.
New York City is one of the least congested large cities in the USA and that is mainly down to the commuter rail and subway network. The subways alone handle 1.6 billion riders/year, Metro North is around 85 million/year and the LIRR is around 15 million. And this is not counting the busses, the PATH or NJT. Try to imagine what would happen if all those riders tried to use cars.
99% of the conservatives out there are not againt a mass transit system...they are against the corrupt government system that never does the job correctly
the NY MTA is BROKE, poorly run, and corrupt.......and the layout of the system was poorly planned and never gets updated (for routes, etc)
an example: I live 12 miles from work...when there is no traffic (maybe 2am) it would take me 15 minutes.....but during rush hour it takes me almost 1 hr, I use a tank of gas (14 gallons) a week (at $3/gallon, that's $42 a week or 168 a month)..............to take mass transit I would have to DRIVE 3 miles to the trainstation, then wait for a train, to get to the terminal (jamiaca station) to pick up the subway (to flushing), then hop on a bus to get to work, and it would take me over 2.5 hours......and a monthly ticket for the long island railroad is over $375 a month...plus the subway and the bus
that's why many dont like mass transit....because the SYSTEM is just screwed up
the problem is efficiency...
Besides the obligatory "the government is corrupt" statement that makes its way into these discussions, here are a few scenarios to consider...
I used to live in Union City, CA and work in downtown San Francisco. And NEVER drove (a nuisance by any measure during the hours, besides time, traffic, toll, parking and gas). Instead, I walked a mile to the station, took the train, walked about a mile to my office, while picking up morning coffee on my way. And I used the time spent in train to read. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
When I visited NYC for business trips, I would NEVER rent cars. For one reason, I always stayed at Crowne Plaza either near the UN or near Times Square. I would walk to the office and back, and to visit virtually any place in Manhattan, then take a train back. It worked, and did so very well.
A friend of mine moved from Boston to Dallas, and decided to buy a house in McKinney (way to the north of Dallas). He soon figured out that taking the train from a few miles south of his home to his office in downtown Dallas made a whole lot sense than driving and dealing with the traffic. He cut his commute time in half, and car related expense by a considerable amount. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
If your primary reason to dismiss commuter rail service is that it doesn’t cover all areas properly, then you’ve actually made a point why it should exist and be expanded.
BTW, I use commuter rail service in Dallas area at EVERY opportunity. It simply is a better way to be more relaxed, even if I spent more time waiting for train or driving to/from a station. In fact, I am looking at construction of a new line, out of my office window, that is heading to DFW Airport. From nothing, to pretty good in less than 15 years has been the commuter/light rail story in Dallas area.
Seeing that the MTA - NJT - PATH - PATCO take 13 million people off the roads i consider that very effiencent. As for the Fares , the MTA has a weird and expensive system , NJT and PATCO have a more simpler system. PATH is flat fare..... The 9 NJT / PATH projects that will be built this decade and the general growth in the system will add 303,000 new Riders all these projects have are cheap and easy to rebuild. By 2020 NJT Regional Rail / Urban Rail and the PATH should have a daily ridership of 741,000. TOD and Changing Commuter habits have lead to a spike in ridership on all system...
As far as I am aware, it takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form. The fact that we still have enough oil left in the ground to last a few more decades or a few more generations is immaterial to the fact that we will run out of oil long before the earth makes more. You can say what you want about Europe, but Europe is already laid out in a manner that is in sync with a world without oil.
Unfortunately, the enchantment that Americans have had with suburbia and sprawl has resulted in a lifestyle that is wasteful on so many levels - extra travel time, wear and tear on vehicles, fuel for vehicles, carbon footprints of larger-than-needed housing (construction materials, heating/cooling, etc.), excessive fertilizer and pesticides for larger-than-needed yards, asphalt for longer roads,.......the list is endless..............
The intelligent thing would have been to stick with the idea of frugality and conservation right from the get-go (100 years ago), which would have meant high density living, just like in Europe. Our fascination and obsession with the automobile and spread-out suburban living is going to bite us in the a** big time, and the worst is yet to come, for sure.
The long-term solution is far more involved than merely transportation and rail service (although that's a good start). It will involve a total top-to-bottom change in our lifestyle from one of waste, inefficiency, and excess, to one of common sense thrift. We only have ONE planet. It's not like we can use this planet up and just move onto the next one. Think about it!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
what a joke
