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Because those countries DON'T have:
--Endless environmental impact reports
--NIMBYs who lobby to stop anything from disrupting their "historic" neighborhood
--Other choices, like moving somewhere else, at least nowhere near the extent that Americans do
Because those countries DON'T have:
--Endless environmental impact reports
--NIMBYs who lobby to stop anything from disrupting their "historic" neighborhood
--Other choices, like moving somewhere else, at least nowhere near the extent that Americans do
All that and the other big one is we already built them. The major cities without subways already don't really seem that suited to them. Phoenix? Houston? And it's not like they're not getting built here. Both Seattle and San Francisco have subway projects under construction. LA already has a subway, San Jose is moving that direction although still planning. That pretty much just leaves San Diego and I guess Portland as far as the major cities in the West Coast which won't have them.
All that and the other big one is we already built them. The major cities without subways already don't really seem that suited to them. Phoenix? Houston? And it's not like they're not getting built here. Both Seattle and San Francisco have subway projects under construction. LA already has a subway, San Jose is moving that direction although still planning. That pretty much just leaves San Diego and I guess Portland as far as the major cities in the West Coast which won't have them.
I can't speak for Phoenix, but Houston does indeed have a grid set-up suitable for high density development, including that pertaining to mass transit like subway systems.
All that and the other big one is we already built them. The major cities without subways already don't really seem that suited to them. Phoenix? Houston? And it's not like they're not getting built here. Both Seattle and San Francisco have subway projects under construction. LA already has a subway, San Jose is moving that direction although still planning. That pretty much just leaves San Diego and I guess Portland as far as the major cities in the West Coast which won't have them.
I'd say the cities that could use subways aren't ones that have no subways yet but ones that already have subways but use another line. Construction in most US cities for subways are often several times higher than western European counties (take a look at Parisian or Madrid subway costs per mile). With cheaper costs, more lines would be more practical. Or, not exactly subways but better use of commuter rail. Boston could electrify some of inner commuter rail lines and run them at BART-like frequencies; they cover similar type areas as the non-far flung parts of BART, and the tracks are there.
San Diego and Portland are neither dense enough nor centralized enough for subways to make sense; they already have light rail. Honolulu is building a grade-separated rapid transit line (elevated).
I can't speak for Phoenix, but Houston does indeed have a grid set-up suitable for high density development, including that pertaining to mass transit like subway systems.
Which is irrelevant as grids have precisely nothing to do with density. It's an American obsession, nothing more. I can count the number of grids I saw in Europe and Asia on the fingers of my third hand.
I'd say the cities that could use subways aren't ones that have no subways yet but ones that already have subways but use another line. Construction in most US cities for subways are often several times higher than western European counties (take a look at Parisian or Madrid subway costs per mile). With cheaper costs, more lines would be more practical. Or, not exactly subways but better use of commuter rail. Boston could electrify some of inner commuter rail lines and run them at BART-like frequencies; they cover similar type areas as the non-far flung parts of BART, and the tracks are there.
San Diego and Portland are neither dense enough nor centralized enough for subways to make sense; they already have light rail. Honolulu is building a grade-separated rapid transit line (elevated).
Yeah, neither Portland or San Diego are really what I'd call logical candidates for a subway either. They are, however, the next most logical candidates seeing as how everything that's more urban already has a subway or like Seattle is building it. Seattle is kind of in that boat and the subway, at least to me, does not at present make much sense. In another 20 years if it keeps building up the downtown area at that rate it is, however, it will. That's a mixed bag. That was also the rational Portland used. It used free federal money to buy a level of transit it expected it could pay based on job and population growth it had experienced in recent years but that failed to materialize to pay for the transit. It's best to be a bit conservative when forecasting the future rather than swing for the fences as Portland did and is paying for now.
How much benefit would Boston really get from that electrifying those lines at what cost? BART expansion is mostly going with diesel as it just doesn't make sense to electrify it. Electrification of Caltrain likewise has long been an option but it's never made any sense to do it. It'll electrify as part of CA HSR but absent that it hasn't as it makes no sense to.
With the exception of a few US cities. I don't think many are capable of building an efficient bus system, let alone a subway system. The competence level just isn't there. However the car dealers are all over the place. We are expected to own a car in this country, and politics and corporations keep us in cars intentionally. Building subways in the bigger US cities, should have been done years ago. I wish it had, and since it was not. I wish subways were being built right now, I just don't see it happening in this country. Not with the limited controlling mindsets in the US. Sorry I say it like it is.
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