this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024

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265

Is the US finally getting ‘all aboard’ with electric trains? (www.theverge.com)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

The new red line between San Francisco and San Jose is the newly built electric rail line.

The coloured lines are electrified railway. It really does stick out, its good progress.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

There's only one solution for the US. The world's fastest bullet train network. Anything less will not do.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't understand this article. It talks as if these trains in California are the US' first electric trains.

Our light rail here in Portland OR is electric.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

And it's better implemented than LA's. Our system has stations in the middle of barren areas in many places. NIMBYism is a cancer in California.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I fucking wish. We’re 50 damn years from common sense.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

You optimist!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Now that the US doesn't rely on auto manufacturing as its main industry, people are coming around on trains.

But, what's that rule about headlines ending in a question mark? 🤔

[–] [email protected] 33 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I wish. The US is endlessly far behind on public transportation.

Talking to my own family members around the US, they only have eyes for their enormous gas guzzler pickup trucks that they use to run to the grocery store down the street.

[+] [email protected] -31 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

We don't need public transportation, we have something better, personal transportation... We also have a robust network for air travel that will take you anywhere in the country in a few hours.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

People driving around in personal tanks is not "something better".

It's dumb, privileged, unsustainable, unhealthy, violent, and literally destroying the planet.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

And even better! All this got rid of those pesky winters

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

And even better! All this got rid of those pesky winters

And replaced it with an extended hurricane season.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Personal transportation is extremely inefficient. You need to pay a bunch of money for something, in order to get around, and it is always space inefficient, bad for the environment and encouraged parking lot creation over housing.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

It literally takes me exactly where I am going using the shortest possible route, no detours, stops or transfers, in the shortest possible time (excluding jetpacks or helicopters), that is peak efficiency of a mode of transportation.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

You're missing price. Compare your trip to Public transit costs, and include infrastructure costs. You had to pay for your vehicle, your car insurance (which in the US there are irresponsibly low legal minimums), registration, gas, and also taxes for the infrastructure, to get yourself somewhere which takes up more room than needed (usually several times more room than a combination lf walking and public transit). Public transit only requires fare pricing, along with infrastructure, which is significantly cheaper per person due to more efficient use of space.

Compare many European metro cities to the US, and you'll notice their public transit is more convenient (in the characteristics you have pointed out) because we decided to shut ourselves in the foot as a country and forced everyone to have to get a car payment, while making public transit bad.

Of course, public transit isn't convenient for every area, such as rural towns in which personal vehicles are a better solution, but we have many cities where there should be significantly better public transit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

shortest possible route

No. That would be a straight line like a train.

no detours, stops

Lmao. Whatever. Don't stop, genius.

the shortest possible time

That would be high speed rail.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

This only works if you live in areas with no traffic. I have had multiple commutes in different cities, and would take a train whenever possible because of how unpleasant the drive is during rush hour (not to mention driving took longer, in one case 2.5x as long!). I don’t even live in a city, I’m just forced to commute because that’s where the work is. I love cars and have been an enthusiast all my life, but there are many reasons why public transportation is so popular around the world. The US might be somewhat unique in the challenges it faces with public transit, but it is still a better, cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient solution for most of the miles Americans are driving in cities or other congested areas.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 9 months ago (2 children)

You can have both. Europe has a great mix. So awesome to have the option to take the train or bus. They also have awesome road infrastructure in most places. Try comparing an American freeway to a German freeway. You feel like you're in a third world country when you come back to the roads in the States.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

On the one hand, I hear the arguments that Europe has a higher population density, more hubs and smaller cities that make trains effective, but the same efficiencies and cost cuts can't be achieved in the US.

On the other hand, I played railroad tycoon and saw how trains and trams were extremely successful to quickly connect and develop a sparse US through efficient public intercity and in-city transport and feel disappointed with the lack of imagination 🥲

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

more hubs

USA has zero hubs because the transportation system is not developed even by the standards of the 1800s.

smaller cities

Yes, smaller cities can survive with decent transit. Sadly that's not going to happen in USA. It's a sad concrete wasteland.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Europe as a whole is not a lot smaller than the US, so I think many of the same efficiencies can be achieved. China has also been able to do it very efficiently and is basically the same size as the US. Granted, they have a much larger population and more potential customers, but it can definitely be done.

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

As I said, lack of imagination. There is this bump in effort that has to be transposed to reach actual returns on investment because energy is too cheap and secure atm. But once that bump is transposed, there is a large landscape of gains, but they can't see past the bump.

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

Careful, Godwin's Law might hear you 😂

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

Lol

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