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.
It seems to be an assumption on this board that "everyone" does work downtown, that people are driving 30 miles or more into the downtown from the suburbs.
Transit is subsidized now in every city I am familiar with.
If it is an assumption, it is an assumption that only you are making. Nobody is calling for everyone to work downtown, or saying that everyone does work downtown. A lot of people tend to work in downtowns--in my own city's example, 100,000 people work downtown but only 20,000 people live there, which implies that a lot of people commute downtown. Many of them commute 20-30 miles to get there.
Now, that does NOT mean that people don't work in other places, and nobody ever said that, except you. You're fabricating claims that others have not made. The point that many are making is that it would make more sense, and probably be a lot less expensive, if people lived closer to where they worked, and there should be ways to facilitate that. Yes, I realize that often working couples work in places distant from each other--but part of why that occurs is because of our decentralized, delocalized, and heavily subsidized auto-centric transportation network.
Nobody is saying that public transit is not subsidized--the frequent posts referring to subsidy of suburbs is a response to people who believe that suburbs are not subsidized or are somehow the product of "the free market," when in fact they are quite heavily subsidized, both directly and indirectly. Those subsidies are the primary reason why public transit, which used to be a for-profit industry, is now subsidized.
Long suburb to downtown commutes don't always imply cars. Long commutes can also be train or bus. What would posters think of a 40 mile commute by train?
Long suburb to downtown commutes don't always imply cars. Long commutes can also be train or bus. What would posters think of a 40 mile commute by train?
For me, it would be the equivalent of a 10 mile drive to work. Mainly because I can just sit and read, nap, etc, and I don't have to pay attention, but would be a little more lengthy than I'd prefer.
ISTM that whenever anyone says anything around here, even something conciliatory towards suburbs and the auto, you tend to jump on it for a rant about "urbanism". This is rather tiresome.
"Don't respond, report". Personal attacks are against the TOS, so is talking about another poster.
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.
