this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2024
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[–] linearchaos 78 points 2 months ago (9 children)

Don't get me wrong, I would absolutely dearly love to have proper trains running on time to every location.

But we basically made a souffle, and you're asking us to turn it into chocolate cake.

We could get away with an advanced network of buses.

[–] jqubed 40 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Buses are great for public transit and the most cost effective option for some communities. There also seems to be a stigma against buses, though, where people are more willing to take a train than a bus. I’m starting to suspect that stigma extends to people wanting to build trains instead of buses that can get the same job done for less money than building a brand new train system.

[–] partial_accumen 60 points 2 months ago (4 children)

There also seems to be a stigma against buses, though, where people are more willing to take a train than a bus.

I'll absolutely take a train over a bus if they are going to the same destination.

  • train has fewer stops meaning train reaches the destination faster
  • train has ultimate right-of-way, and doesn't have to stop for pedestrians on the tracks, red lights, or other things
  • trains in some cities, go under waterways meaning more direct routes than busses
  • there's more space inside trains and usually more choice of seats. Standing is also an option which isn't allowed on most busses
  • acceleration and deceleration are more predictable and comfortable
  • nearly all metro light rail trains are powered by electricity, while many city busses remain diesel
[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

Most of those can addressed by busses too actually.

Train has fewer stops meaning train reaches the destination faster

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or any bus line can have less stop for this reason. To expand on BRT routes, they can be dedicated lanes for busses, with right of way. They can be specific only for busses, and cars not allowed to use it ever or also mixed usage where certain rush hours are for bus use only but outside those hours can be used by other vehicles.

Train has ultimate right-of-way, and doesn't have to stop for pedestrians on the tracks, red lights, or other things

This can also be done with BRT routes.

trains in some cities, go under waterways meaning more direct routes than busses

BRT as well.

there's more space inside trains and usually more choice of seats. Standing is also an option which isn't allowed on most busses

Busses can absolutely support this. Paris has more open busses to allow more people standing or people with disabilities.

acceleration and deceleration are more predictable and comfortable

With dedicated BRT lanes, I believe that can also be done considering there's only bus stops that need to be slowed down on.

Nearly all metro light rail trains are powered by electricity, while many city busses remain diesel

I know technically electric busses are possible, but I'm not certain how feasible this is.

My understanding is that BRT routes are cheaper and faster to setup than trains, and can be upgraded to trains. I'm not saying BRT is better than light or heavy rail, but that should be a more common path for mass transit that is not utilized in the US.

[–] partial_accumen 14 points 2 months ago

For this discussion, you're really torturing the definition of a bus if you're going to use BRT to mean busses. BRT does not meet most peoples definition of "city bus" as the conversation up to now has suggested.

I’m not saying BRT is better than light or heavy rail, but that should be a more common path for mass transit that is not utilized in the U

BRT would nearly always be a zero sum solution to make your statement true. You would have to subtract from current roads that accommodate traffic to create BRT to meet your metric. Land, espeically in dense cities is nearly always already allocated. If anything besides the zero sum BRT, light rail would likely be a better choice than BRT because it can subterranean or elevated with fewer building challenges/dangers.

I’m not saying BRT is better than light or heavy rail, but that should be a more common path for mass transit that is not utilized in the US

I'm interested in an example of a city you have a in mind that BRT would be a better choice than city busses or light rail.

[–] IHateReddit 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)
  • trains can drive at higher speeds than buses
  • train wheels don't emit microplastic particles like bus tires do
  • trains are significantly safer than buses
  • trains move on tracks which results in them moving in a stable and predictable way while buses often shake more which can result in people feeling sick (happens to me often when taking the bus)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

train wheels don't emit microplastic particles like bus tires do

we can help solve this by using plastic breaks on trains

[–] DempstersBox 6 points 2 months ago
[–] IHateReddit 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

finally someone who provides a solution to the problem!

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[–] DempstersBox 4 points 2 months ago

Hey, BRT is great! I'll happily support that rather than building regular car infrastructure.

I also still vastly prefer the train. Or a ferry, if that's an option.

Point not brought up by the other person: Bicycles. I am primarily a bike commuter, and have had one good experience with a bike and bus:

Last bus out of the city, like 2:30am. Driver has no time for our shit, tells us to bring them inside and hang on, to hell with the front rack. We didn't even pay.

I've also had my bike half pop out of said front rack, get taco'd, and got absolutely nothing out of it. Totally fucked. No restitution.

Best case with bikes on a bus is you get lucky and get a spot, usually you're better off just riding the whole way.

Trains, have room. Never not made a train with my bike.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Believe it or not, RTD (regional Denver) is building BRT right now. Blew my mind. I'm looking forward to it

https://www.codot.gov/projects/studies/denvermetrobrt

[–] captainlezbian 7 points 2 months ago

Yeah. Busses join traffic. They reduce it, but traffic delays them

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

I live in a city with a decent network of busses and trains. The trains are just nicer. The trains aren't that different in fanciness to the busses, but they are bigger on the inside and I think that makes a big difference.

[–] TriflingToad 24 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Not really, we removed a TON of stuff to make way for roads. We're over 100 years out of date, its just a matter of funding.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

In the before shot the whole place is full of trees. So so many trees, I can see like 1/20th of them in the later picture.

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[–] DempstersBox 12 points 2 months ago

Ugh. Jesus christ.

And yet, people living in vehicles are 'homeless' and looked down upon. They've left no room for anything else to be realistic

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[–] Fedizen 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

As somebody from one of the related industries: The problem is federal grants in the US. Every year thousands of municipal and state government employees write to the feds grants for funding transportation. The money available until the infrastructure investment act was all money for roads. Even now with money for commuter rail is still very small in comparison and stipulations like requiring nearby travel lanes for other types of vehicles still mean that elevated and tunneled train systems are not being adequately funded.

The effect is obvious: Do you as a munucipal/state government administrator build a free new federally funded road to make people feel like a problem is being addressed and then blame the unaddressed problems on the next elected person or do you raise taxes to fund a light rail system that is infinitely more costly despite the fact nobody else will build public rail links to connect it to. Planning departments usually do know what transit will work best, but getting funding for trains has been nearly impossible.

The feds have, I think since the 50s, discouraged new public rail and we are paying that price over and over again. Say what you will about biden but him being a train guy is probably the only thing that has improved the number of light rail projects in the states and we won't see those benefits for years.

The rest of the problem lies in urban sprawl and parking lot minimums. Which is a similar problem where its impossible to not create unwalkable sprawl.

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[–] [email protected] 67 points 2 months ago (6 children)
  • Trains
  • Trams
  • Ebikes
  • Public Busses

In that order, preferably. Fuck this techbro shit.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You’re forgetting a fundamental one:

  • Sidewalks
[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Technology is not mature yet, we'll need another 10 years til we could make those work.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just let Elon Musk handle it, it will be ready in two year tops. Perpetually two years away.

[–] MrMcGasion 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

He'll get two miles of underground sidewalks put in during four of those two years.

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[–] Demdaru 3 points 2 months ago

Breaking news! Automatic sidewalks from company OvaDere is coming to YOUR town! Imagine using a one long elevator to get to work and you are thinking AutomWalk! Using revolutionary technology SafeStop, this Smart AI driven sidewalk replacer AutomWalk stops as soon as it detects a passerby to ensure health and safety, allowing to traverse any distances comfortably, no matter where you are going!

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

I want state owned electric self driving g taxis. I want to walk out of my door and get in the neighborhood self driving bus to take me (up to) 2 miles from work, where I can either walk or use a lil razer scooter to get to my job.

Alas, I work 62 miles away from home.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What about little electric scooters that you can rent with an app but we just dump them all over the fucking sidewalk when no one is using them.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

It's because they all live in the US.

If the operated out of the UK they would know what a bus was. It would be late of course, but at least they would see them.

[–] Wogi 3 points 2 months ago

We have busses.

Tech bros are afraid of poor people and only poor people take the bus. We obviously need a luxury bus to service tech startups.

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[–] kemsat 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The point is to not ride the public transportation with the lesser peoples.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago
  1. and 2. class wagons?
[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 months ago

Twitter is bad.

[–] SlopppyEngineer 12 points 2 months ago (3 children)

The end goal of robo-taxis is to shuttle people between the home/destination and the train station.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Wouldn't buses/trams be more efficient at that? They move more than 1 person to their desired destination.

[–] SlopppyEngineer 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That would be more efficient, but there are enough places with no bus or tram. And then you have services that are infrequent or shut down early and could use some help.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (2 children)

We already have that in my city, it’s called Metro Micro and it costs $2.50 and includes a free transfer to public transit.

I don’t know what Musk thinks he’s going to charge for it, but I doubt it’ll be better than that.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Imagine needing to get back home from a train station, but there are 13 people that will need to be dropped-off before you, at their individual homes.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

So, exactly like when I was a kid riding the school bus and our household was the first one on in the morning and the last one off in the afternoon.

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[–] pyre 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

i know he acts like that, but he's actually 53.

edit: oh, by "joke" you mean the tweet. never mind.

[–] TriflingToad 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

I follow a YouTuber that covers everytime they find someone reinventing something. In no particular order:
train, https://youtu.be/YUpST_cQ1hM
train, https://youtu.be/dNzjk-kiUmQ
Pump storage hydroelectricity aka water battery (pump water up when have energy, drop down when need energy) https://youtu.be/dNzjk-kiUmQ
train, https://youtu.be/r5M7Oq1PCz4
trees, https://youtu.be/Ajdd9LeKwTQ
bus, https://youtu.be/GcKUYbChE3A

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I kind of lost faith in Adam Something after he advocated for requiring everyone to use their real name online to "expose them to consequences for what they say" (and then did an ad read for DeleteMe in the same video)

[–] TriflingToad 4 points 2 months ago

dang that's sad to see :/, also pretty funny that that's coming from someone who goes by the name "adam something"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Without even clicking I knew this was gonna be the solar fricking roadways guy.

Edit: oh wait, no, I actually thought 2 different guys were the same. I meant this guy: https://youtu.be/H901KdXgHs4?feature=shared

And of course he also has his take of the cyber bus: https://youtu.be/8x4pMfBSU_U?feature=shared

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] A_Random_Idiot 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Are a good idea, yes.

Many places intentionally hamper them to make them useless to perpetuate the idea of government incompetence and to deny the peasantry easy of access and transport, though.

Especially when they are slower than just straight up walking.

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