Mass transit is a 20th century solution (highway, cost, dollars)

[Roadking2003]

Particularly rail. Rail made much more economic sense when a huge percent of the population worked 8 to 5 and commuted to a central location. Today, more and more people work from home, travel, work odd hours or work from a remote location. Rail takes you from a location of it's choosing to a location of it's choosing. You can choose to move close to a rail station, but most people don't. The "if you build it, they will come" philosophy has been a total failure. Most of us just shake our heads in wonder as we watch mostly empty light rail cars go by.

Meanwhile, tax payers watching the half empty rail cars are sitting in traffic jams because they have no choice. Politicians believe if they make driving more painful (by slowing funding for roads) then people will shift from cars to rail. The problem is that most people have no choice. They don't commute to a central location every day.

So despite hundreds of billions of dollars invested and hundreds of billions of dollars from tax payers, ridership per capita continues to decline and has done so for decades. But it's politically correct to continue to invest in rail even though a huge majority of tax payers will never board a train.

[urbanlife78]

Interesting observation, the light rail car and two subway trains I was on this morning were all full. Is your post based on any tangible information or just an observation?

Also this thread should be in urban planning or a transportation forum and should be moved to the correct forum.

[emcee squared]

Are you speaking about light-rail, heavy-rail, or both? And what do you propose as an alternative?

[Frank DeForrest]

The fact that mass transit must be heavily subsidized to maintain operations says it all.

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest

The fact that mass transit must be heavily subsidized to maintain operations says it all.

And highways aren't subsidized?

[Frank DeForrest]

Originally Posted by pch1013

And highways aren't subsidized?

Gas taxes and tolls paid by actual users.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest

Gas taxes and tolls paid by actual users.

And what about the rest? Gas taxes and tolls don't cover the full cost.

[Frank DeForrest]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

And what about the rest? Gas taxes and tolls don't cover the full cost.

Lay out the rest.
Maybe they would cover full cost if not siphoned off for other purposes such as rail.

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest

Gas taxes and tolls paid by actual users.

The vast majority of road miles in the US are toll-free.

[Frank DeForrest]

Originally Posted by pch1013

The vast majority of road miles in the US are toll-free.

And fuel taxes?