[extropy-chat] Public Transportation (was suitcase nukes)

[BillK]

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 10:34:34 -0500, Bret Kulakovich wrote:
> 
> Here's me, however, sitting on the commuter rail everyday - the one who
> actually reads the annual reports left on our seats each year - and
> knows that his buying a pass is merely a "contribution" toward the cost
> of my ridership - one quarter to be precise.
> 
> And the trains are usually packed 3 stops before the end of the line.
> Something just doesn't seem right.
> 

It depends on the city and it's position along the traffic jam crisis line.
Some newer cities are designed around the car and can accommodate huge
volumes of commuter traffic before seizing up. In older cities (like
in UK) the jams have got so bad that many cities now slap a 10 USD per
day charge on every car going into the town centre area, to discourage
cars going there. London and Oxford are two examples. It seems to
work, as well. Buses in London centre now move around much better.
It helps if you have a good train, bus or light rail network which can
absorb the commuter traffic. If you don't, then businesses will move
out of the town centre, because they won't get the necessary staff.

BillK