A question for the pro-train crowd:
Given development for the past 50+ years, large swaths of American cities aren't dense. This makes light rail and the like more expensive since you have X people living within a short distance of a train station rather than 3X (a rough comparison of Houston and Berlin's densities)
With that in mind, how would you propose creating a mass transit system without bankrupting cash strapped states and municipalities?
The best I can come up with is making heavy use of existing infrastructure by encouraging commuter friendly buses and so on.
Yup. Buses are the only real option for this scenario. Perhaps in a generation when people are used to the idea of taking the bus rather than driving the demand and money will make sense for rail (in a mid-sized city).
