BPR: Why in the world is the federal government, 20 years into the 21st century, continuing to pour tens of billions of tax dollars into little-used mass transit rail projects? In a digital age with increasingly popular and affordable door-to-door ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft, universal use of cars by all income groups and the revolution of smart driverless vehicles around the corner, subway systems and light rail are as old-fashioned as the rotary phone. The federal government and urban planners in at least 25 cities are frantically spending money to lay down tracks that, in 10 or 20 years, they will have to rip right out of the ground.
The scandal here is that mass transit is adding to traffic congestion problems across America. It is also blocking mobility as we divert billions of gas tax dollars, which are supposed to get spent on road repairs and expansions, to white elephant transit projects with minuscule ridership that, in most cities, is shrinking.
They want you on the trains so they can control where and when you go.
remember the old movies about European Train travel “papers please!”
MAF..”papers” have been replaced by cell phones and the tracker in your car.
It is known as induced congestion – this is deliberate and part of the “degrowth movement” If you want to understand it read:
The Vanishing Automobile and Other Urban Myths: How Smart Growth Will Harm American Cities
&
Gridlock: Why We’re Stuck in Traffic and What to Do About It
https://www.amazon.com/Randal-OToole/e/B002DQ8C0E/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Their plan is to take away our cars. Just listen to them.
The powers that be have been given too much power.
I’ve competed against the double busses in downtown Pittsburgh, with my Jeep Commander at rush hour – it’s NO contest. Damn mass transit KILLS the speed of commuter traffic. 😡
Plus, it’s another way greedy, power hungry people can scam wealth from the taxpayers (boondoggles to no where). Just try and find out what happened to all those millions/billions. It’s like trying to get info from hillezebub in a deposition.
“Why in the world is the federal government, 20 years into the 21st century, continuing to pour tens of billions of tax dollars into little-used mass transit rail projects?”
political kick backs, the answer is political kickbacks, right?
“Why in the world is the federal government, 20 years into the 21st century, continuing to pour tens of billions of tax dollars into little-used mass transit rail projects?”
Expressways don’t produce cushy wel-paid jobs for preferred minorities. And I’m not just talking about bus drivers and turnstile monitors. My friend was CIO for MARTA. She quit after a year of trying to fire deadwood and hire talent.
Trains run on tracks that are on a roadbed that is located on land that is bought from cronies of the Parties (who somehow kick some of it back to the politician in the form of “contributions”………
When trying to figure out why government does what it does, follow the money.
Mass transit construction involves getting huge amounts of gov’t money where politicials and Democrat run unions can do the graft and rakeoffs.
No construction or purchasing; no easy millions laying around.
It’s a feature, not a bug.
Liberal politicians, just like other topics, aren’t even trying to hide it anymore. Several have blatantly stated that it is their intent to force people out of their cars and use government controlled mobility.
Bus drivers operate their government vehicle as if they own the roads (which is actually true, governments do own the roads and the bus drivers, being on the dole, are an extension of the government).
My little town has a fleet of large buses that you seldom see more than a handful of people on. They take longer to get across town because of all the stops and transfers that you are usually better off walking. They could do the job cheaper with vans. They also decided that is was a good idea to build a bus terminal in the middle of the main parking lot for the civic auditorium and the downtown shopping area. Now nobody goes to the auditorium or downtown because there’s not enough parking! ( Unless you take the bus.)🤔