Exit 4
This space for rent
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As someone that lives 1/3 mile from metro north and has a nyc commuter hh and occasionally takes a amtrack from Stamford to points south I can tell you with great confidence that trains are a wonderful mode of transportation but even with the greatest train network one could devise for America they will never be more than a mode for commuting to work and the very occasional leisure trip. Why? Because taking a family on a train is damn expensive and nothing in America that you really care to see is built within walking distance of train stations at the destination. I’ve tried to use the train for non work commuting and it just sucks and it’s expensive. Especially when taking the family along.
Other nations have great rail because;
1) Landowners have fewer rights and their governments took property needed to make straight lines to make efficient rail. Must have straight lines or nothing of value is achieved. Curvy lines with trains topping out at 80 does nothing. Need straight lines and speeds well over 140 to create real time benefit. This will never happen on the eastern seaboard or near coast areas without a serious change in attitudes about development.
2) They have older cities that maintained great central density. Lots of stuff of use is located within a 30 min walk in their cities. While we have been trying harder to accomplish the same here, it still stands that so much of great use is just not near rail.
3) The most overlooked reason rail works in other counties better is so simple. American cities tend to have plenty of parking, European and Japanese cities do not. When you increase the cost and reduce the availability of parking it’s amazing how quickly you start thinking about that rail option.
I’m very interested to see us improve the existing Boston to DC rail corridor. Unfortunately I am afraid we have already spent our capital as a society of other stuff- what that is IDK- just looking at our widening national deficit.
There just isn’t the real political will to actually execute an emanate domain program that necessary to make the straight lines (think about the disparate impact and environment impact arguments alone which would take decades to play out in court). And if there ever is such a will they will start with NYC to DC because it impacts more people and more states (ie Senators).
Lastly, we have to see what travel habits become post COVid. Rail ridership is off something like 90% on the Metronorth. It seems COVid helped accelerate two existing trends, the demise of street retail and the demise of the central office. I see a lot of urban professionals dropping their commutes forever with zoom. I see a lot of others moving to a 3 days in office, 2 days from home routine. We shall see. Of course rail has long term benefits that will never cease as people will always travel, but the near term decline of commuting will serve to undermine the economics and that is meaningful to the discussion.
Other nations have great rail because;
1) Landowners have fewer rights and their governments took property needed to make straight lines to make efficient rail. Must have straight lines or nothing of value is achieved. Curvy lines with trains topping out at 80 does nothing. Need straight lines and speeds well over 140 to create real time benefit. This will never happen on the eastern seaboard or near coast areas without a serious change in attitudes about development.
2) They have older cities that maintained great central density. Lots of stuff of use is located within a 30 min walk in their cities. While we have been trying harder to accomplish the same here, it still stands that so much of great use is just not near rail.
3) The most overlooked reason rail works in other counties better is so simple. American cities tend to have plenty of parking, European and Japanese cities do not. When you increase the cost and reduce the availability of parking it’s amazing how quickly you start thinking about that rail option.
I’m very interested to see us improve the existing Boston to DC rail corridor. Unfortunately I am afraid we have already spent our capital as a society of other stuff- what that is IDK- just looking at our widening national deficit.
There just isn’t the real political will to actually execute an emanate domain program that necessary to make the straight lines (think about the disparate impact and environment impact arguments alone which would take decades to play out in court). And if there ever is such a will they will start with NYC to DC because it impacts more people and more states (ie Senators).
Lastly, we have to see what travel habits become post COVid. Rail ridership is off something like 90% on the Metronorth. It seems COVid helped accelerate two existing trends, the demise of street retail and the demise of the central office. I see a lot of urban professionals dropping their commutes forever with zoom. I see a lot of others moving to a 3 days in office, 2 days from home routine. We shall see. Of course rail has long term benefits that will never cease as people will always travel, but the near term decline of commuting will serve to undermine the economics and that is meaningful to the discussion.
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