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Those bars are on the windows of places where small children live. They have a law requiring windows to have safety devices so children cannot fall out of an open window.
Why are the bars only on the lower levels where people can reach from the outside?
The issue in the USA is the right of way. All trackage would have to be elevated. There is none here. In China they just kick the people the fox out of the way. Just clearing room for trackage IN COURT in America would take 25 years.
Not necessarily. We already have rails running everywhere. It could simply replace the current system in places. If privately owned, it will be tied up in the courts. If not, there isn't much you can do.
It amazes me that the US government spends so much on infrastructure for driving (roads, bridges, highways) and flying (airports, air traffic control, improved security) with little opposition but anything related to train travel (new track, stations, signals) gets much maligned.
Why are the bars only on the lower levels where people can reach from the outside?
LOL so true. Also My friend who lives there actually told me it was because of crime.
Forget the windows, how about needing 3 or 4 dead bolts on every door? His neighbor has all the above plus 2 steel bars across the door that they use at night.
It amazes me that the US government spends so much on infrastructure for driving (roads, bridges, highways) and flying (airports, air traffic control, improved security) with little opposition but anything related to train travel (new track, stations, signals) gets much maligned.
It amazes me that we spend billions on infra structure in other countries but worry about money when it comes to our own.
Relax no one is telling you to move to the big scary city. Just remove all the subsidies cars and sprawl get and let market forces sort it out.
Yes, that's exactly right.
In France for example, gas is price at $6/gallon, and you pay $25 to use the autoroute (expressways) for driving 150 km. I supposed that's the real price for driving with no subsidy.
Then let the suburban and rural folks decide where they want to live, and whether they still love the freedom their precious cars provide to them.
Does Eminent Domain take that long? I know it didn't years ago when they took my Grandfather's house on Staten Island to build public housing.
For a good example of the problem and the powers involved, consider the drawbridges on the present Northeast Corridor in Connecticut. As with the New York State Barge (nee Erie) Canal, very little private sector commercial traffic is involved -- the demand comes from personal pleasure craft in the form of what locals call the "Connecticut Navy".
So the drawbridges, and the speed restrictions involved, remain in place. There are ways to improve the situation, but they would be very expensive. And don't even think of new right-of-way in a politically-charged area, which under present conditions, would involve the entire state.
Because government is given the power to do such nonsense.
Not just driving. In the US airports are very heavily subsidized too. This is why airfare is relatively cheap.
The US government should really stop subsidizing all this and that. People should be asked to pay the real price for driving and flying, and then they will make the most rational choice instead of saying "the car gives me FREEDOM". Yes, we all want a car to go wherever we want to, whenever we want to, without following any fixed route or schedule, but the thing is, we should also pay the fair price for that privilege.
If the military wanted HSR as transportation for people/materiel, the $$$ would be found in an instant.
So?
The most important factor needed in order for HSR viable is demand.
And there just isn't any demand for it in America.
People, by and large just don't care about it.......we like the complete freedom that a car brings in being able to go anywhere, anytime without having to rely on anything or anyone else.
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