Texas is a perfect example of everything that's wrong with America (Dallas: pros and cons, taxis)

[ScoPro]

Public transportation will not work for most Texans.
We are not New York City.
Bus service is available in the “Big Six”.
Or buy an EV like a Tesla.

[Need4Camaro]

I'm thinking of going the EV route, not because of gas prices but because I'm worried we may run into a crunch where gas may become unavailable for extended periods... but if I purchase, it will not be at the expense of my Camaro's.. ..I may drive them alittle bit less though. If I buy an EV, it's replacing my Prius.. the problem though is its really hard to find a decently optioned EV for less than $45k out the door.. and even with that you're still limited between 220 - 270 miles with most EV's which is kind of crappy... ...I think that will change as battery technology progresses but EV's IMHO are just not ready for mass adoption, despite what political green propaganda would have us believe.

It seems like most EV's that are being constructed now are being targeted toward higher end car buyers and not your general entry level / mid-level car owner. There is the fact that the Chevy Bolt's MSRP will drop about $6k which brings it to the $25k ballpark entry level which is good IMHO... but it does not qualify for the tax incentive.. ..which is another thing I am seeking in my next purchase if I buy an EV.. ..I just don't want a $600 + car note just to say I'm saving on gasoline though. If I buy a $45k+ car vs keeping a car that is paid off in full.. ..how am I saving anything on fuel?

[grampaTom]

Originally Posted by mirotek

I realize that this will probably upset some people, but oh well. I have lived in several states and all of them have pros and cons but Texas is a perfect example of a state that displays everything that's wrong with America.

1. There is almost no public transit and everything is very spread out and only accessible by interstate (sometimes with a toll) on purpose. In DFW, you are usually 5-10mi from certain amenities.

2. Texas has almost no public land. Other states have a lot of state and county parks.

3. Most of the residential rental real estate is owned by a large corporation with headquarters in another state or even in another country. The last state I lived in was Maine and all of my landlords up there were local to the area and had a vested interest in the state because they were from there and lived there.

4. The people who run the state impose their myopic religious views on everything despite Texans wanting it to be another way.

5. Everyone claims that Texas is a "free" state but I feel far less free here than I did in a few other states I've lived in. Texas has almost as many laws on the books as California. A free state wouldn't try to ban abortion or wouldn't keep marijuana illegal or prevent people from buying alcohol on Sundays or after 9pm.

6. Most business in the state are tacky corporate chains in strip centers. Locally owned businesses are becoming a rarity. DFW is the most "corporate" feeling place I've ever lived.

7. The power grid was deregulated in order to make it better for the consumer but in reality all it did was allow corporations to make more profits. And currently our leaders refuse to do anything to fix it.

why do I think you wouldn't be happy no matter where you live?

[briskwheel]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Public transportation will not work for most Texans.
We are not New York City.
Bus service is available in the “Big Six”.
Or buy an EV like a Tesla.

You're right that public transit won't work in Texas or in most of the US. It's because most places were built after cars were invented and weren't built with public transit, biking, or pedestrians walking in mind.

But anything can change and anything is possible.

$6/gal gas might encourage people to write to our elected officials and bring up public transit.

[Cuero]

Originally Posted by briskwheel

You're right that public transit won't work in Texas or in most of the US. It's because most places were built after cars were invented and weren't built with public transit, biking, or pedestrians walking in mind.

But anything can change and anything is possible.

$6/gal gas might encourage people to write to our elected officials and bring up public transit.

Even at $6/gal person vehicles are still far more cost effective than public transit. The geography of Texas and most of the USA along with our rule of law makes public transit a non-starter. If anywhere outside NYC or Chicago could make it work, it would be CA but that has turned into a black hole and is a massive failure.

[Need4Camaro]

Even Chicago sees less than 30% transit utilization despite transit its impressive availability. NYC is the only city in America that approaches 50%. Thing is, transit doesn't work well the sprawling environments and culd-de-sac neighborhoods. Transit works best where last mile destinations are fairly adjacent to transit centers where you don't need to walk more than a few blocks from a node of transit while keeping transfers to a minimum, thats very difficult in American cities because most American's value their homes having space and privacy.

And $6 Gal gas isn't going to change very much. People will just make less auxillary trips.. ..and we'll see an economic recession.. not transit improvements..

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by blameyourself

Rather than quote your whole post, I'll address some of the points by number:

3). Although I know this is becoming a contentious issue with the surge in real estate prices, homes in Texas are still a bargain and within reach for many families so it doesn't concern me if some are owned by corporations (I don't buy your "most" comment). Real estate prices have surged all over the country, so this is not necessarily just a Texas issue. The average cost of a home per sf is slightly over $180, which isn't unreasonable.

5). I don't agree with the abortion issue but question your claim that Texans want it to be another way. What proof do you have of that?

7). Energy IS cheaper in Texas. The only ones that got hit during our snow storm last year were people buying wholesale energy from companies like Griddy. The average utility cost by kilowatt hour is 13.83 cents nationally (Texas is 12.28 cents). And if you get an energy efficient home, it's ridiculously cheap. My bill averages just under $70 per month.

Not to mention that if you were still with a company that you'd previously had a contract with, some such companies would let you sign up for a contract (post freeze) and the rate was retroactive to the beginning of the previous billing .

[briskwheel]

What you need to incentivize public transit is the following:

1. Heavy traffic, meaning it takes 30mins to travel 2mi.
2. Cost. If you need to pay taxes and have to have parking passes and other stickers
3. Convenience. If the subway station is a 2min walk away but you had to park your car in a garage that's 15mins away

Most of America except for maybe NYC, Chicago, and DC don't have these issues so that's why people prefer to drive.

Go to London or Paris for a day and try to get around in taxis or Ubers and you'll quickly realize why most people prefer public transit.

Me personally, I prefer driving because I've had to deal with far too many sketchy people on public transit. But then again, drivers are terrible and put my life at risk on a regular basis, so I'm not sure what's worse.

[elan]

Originally Posted by mirotek

I realize that this will probably upset some people, but oh well. I have lived in several states and all of them have pros and cons but Texas is a perfect example of a state that displays everything that's wrong with America.

1. There is almost no public transit and everything is very spread out and only accessible by interstate (sometimes with a toll) on purpose. In DFW, you are usually 5-10mi from certain amenities.

2. Texas has almost no public land. Other states have a lot of state and county parks.

3. Most of the residential rental real estate is owned by a large corporation with headquarters in another state or even in another country. The last state I lived in was Maine and all of my landlords up there were local to the area and had a vested interest in the state because they were from there and lived there.

4. The people who run the state impose their myopic religious views on everything despite Texans wanting it to be another way.

5. Everyone claims that Texas is a "free" state but I feel far less free here than I did in a few other states I've lived in. Texas has almost as many laws on the books as California. A free state wouldn't try to ban abortion or wouldn't keep marijuana illegal or prevent people from buying alcohol on Sundays or after 9pm.

6. Most business in the state are tacky corporate chains in strip centers. Locally owned businesses are becoming a rarity. DFW is the most "corporate" feeling place I've ever lived.

7. The power grid was deregulated in order to make it better for the consumer but in reality all it did was allow corporations to make more profits. And currently our leaders refuse to do anything to fix it.

Do you need help moving?

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by elan

Do you need help moving?

I laughed.