• circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    Americans need to embrace public transit. We need trains that don’t completely suck in both speed and schedule reliability.

    We’re never going to convince a lot of folks to leave their lifted F-150 or massive Suburban behind for a small car. But quality, affordable public transit that is not only efficient but saves money over owning a car would actually make a difference. We’re more likely to be able to get people to just leave the F-150 in the driveway and eventually move away from it.

    Much better for the environment, too, and reduces traffic / congestion, etc. I agree smaller cars would be good, but the goalpost should be getting away from the automobile.

      • dubba@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I mean, I think this is what they’re saying, but yeah.

        • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
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          1 year ago

          Yeah. I probably should have been more detailed in my comment, but I did not mean embrace it as it is. I mean investing in it and making it competitive. I don’t think it’s embraceable in its current form.

      • grue@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        we need to push representatives into office that are far more left-leaning and not fucking autocrats who will MANDATE massive increases in taxes on billionaires and legislate much more significant subsidization of public transit

        You’re framing it wrong. We don’t need to elect scary commies to massively increase taxes in order to subsidize icky collective things; we simply need to elect Fiscal Conservatives™ who will cease massively subsidizing car dependency. In particular, it’s time to repeal Big Government® intrusive regulations that try to tell Red Blooded Americans© they can’t build a multifamily building on their own damn property or that dictate minimum parking requirements.

        This is America, damn it! It’s high time we put the invisible hand of the Free Market back in control!

        [insert screaming eagle noises]

      • I_hate_you_welcome@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        Countries like Japan, Europe and Nordic countries… My man, Nordic countries are Europe and Europe isn’t a country.

      • JeffCraig@citizensgaming.com
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        1 year ago

        It’s more complex than that.

        The way the US is spread out makes public transit prohibitively expensive and difficult to achieve proper coverage. To make it effective, you would have to shift the entire way we live. Our entire society is built off the concept that everyone has a car.

        Add to the fact that building transit is extra expensive in the US and you arrive at the reality that we will NEVER have a working transit system. That’s why the shift to small cars is needed. We don’t have any more room for roads, so we need more cars to fit in the roads we have

          • mwguy@infosec.pub
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            1 year ago

            We just lack the leadership needed to implement massive programs like high speed interstate rail.

            In fairness the Interstate system was more about air defense than transit.

              • mwguy@infosec.pub
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                1 year ago

                Politically you have to get several different groups of people to buy in to make it work. Unfortunately “what it’s about” is the deciding factor in accomplishment.

    • FoxBJK@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      Americans have absolutely embraced public transit. It’s just that not a lot of cities have robust systems in place, but go somewhere like NYC or Chicago and you’ll see a transit system that millions rely on daily.

    • mwguy@infosec.pub
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      1 year ago

      Public transit needs to do what it says on the tin. People won’t choose public transit if it’s the choice between an hour commute each way and a 3 hour each way bus ride.