America’s Transit Exceptionalism
America lags in advanced transit systems compared to global cities like Istanbul, London, Seoul, and Vienna. Lack of significant transit construction in major U.S. cities raises concerns about the country's transit development.
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The article discusses America's lag in developing advanced transit systems compared to other countries like Istanbul, London, Seoul, and Vienna. It highlights the efficiency and innovation seen in global transit projects, emphasizing the benefits of high-quality transit in reducing congestion, speeding up travel, and cutting emissions. The piece points out the lack of significant transit construction in major U.S. cities like New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., with only Los Angeles and Seattle showing promising development plans. The author questions why the U.S. struggles to build quality transit and suggests that incremental upgrades may not be sufficient given the vast disparity with other nations. The article concludes by stressing the importance of acknowledging this transit gap to avoid normalizing America's subpar transit infrastructure.
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29 comments"This is one of the central questions underpinning this newsletter and my book."
Not true. In DC, the Purple Line is currently under construction to connect DC's Maryland suburbs to one another. (OK. This is technically just over the border in Maryland, but it is clearly part of the DC metro area and it interconnects with lines in the District proper.) And DC just finished (in November) adding another new line, the Silver Line, out to Dulles Airport and some of the further flung Virginia suburbs. (Similarly, I think a major project was completed in San Francisco last year.) And isn't the K under construction in LA? And what about East Side Access in New York? And the Skyline in Honolulu? I'm sure another 2 minutes of Googling could uncover more examples.
The general story might be true — cthet ities outside the U.S. are investing more in rail infrastructure — but this makes me question the research. The metric "mile of transit" is also probably misleading. Many U.S.cities (though not enough) already have robust mass transit systems. The primarily challenge in many places is therefore not just to build new lines, but to expand the use of what is already there. (A particular challenge after Covid wiped out ridership.)
This distinction isn't some pedantry, because BART is funded by the many counties it serves, not just SF. Those counties are on the board and get a say on where it extends to as well.
US cities have very low density compared to other cities in other countries.
New York is the exception, and their transit isn't that bad. But it's still lower than other major cities.
No one ever really addresses this trade off.
The subways seemed to be closer in quality to a NYC than a London.
Very capable, but didn't seem cutting edge.
The passengers may be a bit uncouth (the upper half of the society tends to drive here instead of riding public transport), but the system is still unflinchingly reliable and comfortable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtfOekhkcw
So what are these factors?
This is the primary reason why. Subways/rail is fantastic for dense cities. The US is much less dense than the rest of the world. So we don’t feel the need for subways. Seattle and LA care about this, so they are expanding. Seattle is geographically limited and can pretty much only expand up. LA doesn’t have the same geographic limitations, but it becoming the first city to maximize the amount of sprawl available. As other regions lose their ability to sprawl and are forced to expand up we’ll see more US regions build subways.
Take a look around - I don't want my tax dollars spent on a transit project full of graft in NY. It's really that simple. And I don't want mass transit where I live.
This also belies the writer's condescension and hubris. I've been on many city mass transit systems, in the US and abroad, contrary to the story posted here, they aren't all "like star trek to (ignorant) Americans".
Spare me.
SF's Chinatown is stuck in the 1950s. It's not modern China. No black-glass skyscrapers in exotic shapes. No outposts of Shenzhen manufacturers. It's mostly a retirement village.
For regional transit, China's high speed rail buildout [1] is truly breathtaking. If you look at the miles of track [2], China has 45000km with 25000km under construction. Number 2 on the list is Spain (with 4000 and 1000 respectively).
For urban transit, China again completely dominates [3] by like a factor of 6-7 to #2. The US actually fares better here bu that's skewed by a handful of outliers, most notably NYC.
It makes me so mad because of the concerted effort made to dismantle and derail (pun intended) public transit efforts in the United States. The Koch brothers (well, brother) spend a fortune fighting these projects [4]. Elon Musk famously only propsosed the Hyperloop in the hopes of killing the California High Speed Rail ("HSR") [5].
Look at Las Vegas, a huge tourist destination. What Las Vegas actually needs is a subway line between the airport and the major Strip hotels. This would require probably less than 20 miles of tunnels. It could even be a mix of light rail in the suburbs and to the airport and tunnels under the Strip. You could extend it to key parts of Las Vegas to include all the people that need to work on the Strip through Park and Ride stations. It would be incredibly cheap for the benefit.
But instead we got the idiotic Tesla tunnels by The Boring Company, which I'm convinced was only proposed to kill the idea of any public transit infrastructure in Las Vegas.
It's all so short-sighted because public transit scales and it would make life easier for anyone who actually wants or needs to drive. But instead we get idiotic infrastructure like the Katy Freeway in Houston [6].
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/xszhbm/chinese_hig...
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-speed_railway_lin...
[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems#List_by_...
[5]: https://twitter.com/parismarx/status/1571628269555826688
[6]: https://b93.net/widest-freeway-in-the-united-states-is-in-te...
So well, if USA invest less in metros is a very good thing for them. It's about time to massively understand that dense cities are needed now ONLY BY FINANCE capitalism to rule over gazillion of people owing nothing, tied to their services, but it's a nightmare for everyone else, environment included since they consume an enormous amount of resources, much more NOW than spread homes (modern buildings and modern homes, with energy performances, anti-seismic design, fire safety, HVAC etc) and can't evolve while being a big on-ground thermal mass to be heated by the Sun much more than spread green areas.
The fix? Don't do dense cities. 80-85% of the US population prefers single-family houses to apartments.
We need to promote remote work and BUILD NEW SPARSE HOUSING. Do not do the nonsense "upzoning", instead build new suburbs.
Remote work can be promoted by giving tax breaks for remote positions or by taxing dense office space.
Unless you live in an urban or suburban area. I agree with the author particularly about densely populated areas, the US is not just lacking, it is basically undeveloped. If I were inclined to live in such a place, I would pick a foreign city over the US. The congestion is probably the number one factor for me in deciding not to, although it isn't the only factor. There is not one single good reason why, if you live in a tightly packed place, you cannot get around your immediate environment with just the shoes on your feet. Especially considering that such places are supposedly designed exclusively for human habitation. It is downright shameful.
I think globally nearly everyone would prefer to have a single family home with a private yard and with automobiles for getting around in most cases. I'd agree train access into the big city for a day out is nice. But most "big cities" aren't big enough or dense enough to require them.
Related
American Singapore(s): Competent city governance hiding in plain sight
American cities like Carmel, Houston, and Las Vegas mirror Singapore's governance success. Carmel's Mayor Brainard, Houston's homeless reduction collaboration, and Las Vegas's water conservation efforts showcase effective governance strategies for urban challenges.
The Death of NYC Congestion Pricing
New York City cancels congestion pricing scheme due to inflation concerns, impacting transit projects like Second Avenue Subway Phase II. Critics question MTA's financial management. Decision reflects challenges in infrastructure planning.
London, Paris, Seoul Show Commuting Power of Fast Regional Rail
Cities like London, Paris, and Seoul are leading with fast regional rail systems. London's new line boosted ridership, Seoul reduced travel times, and Delhi is constructing a rapid system. These systems aim to enhance commuting efficiency and expand travel areas. The trend prompts questions about the US adopting similar systems.
Cities Can Use Paris as a Model for Implementing Safer Street Infrastructure
Cities like New York can learn from Paris's successful urban transportation policies, including congestion pricing and pedestrian-friendly initiatives, to improve residents' quality of life and transportation efficiency. Paris's approach involves transforming streets, limiting car speeds, creating car-free zones, and investing in non-car transportation modes. US cities can benefit from prioritizing pedestrians, alternative transportation modes, and congestion pricing for public transportation improvements, leading to reduced traffic and enhanced safety.
Efficient self-organization of informal public transport networks
A study in Nature Communications compares informal and formal public transport networks globally. Informal systems in the Global South operate as efficiently as or better than centralized services in the Global North, challenging common perceptions.