Governor Terrible (Brownback) to balance budget via cutting highway funding

[DC Al Fine]

Excellent news!

Ibn Rushd, take my daily commute to work and then tell me how "overbuilt" you think American highways are. The Texas DoT is finally building an interchange that should have been done years ago that will reduce my commute time by a good 10-15%.

For rural areas, highways are their only lifeline to the outside world.

Ever heard of "induced demand"? Take the train.

You really are an idiot, aren't you? There is a whole world outside the Bos-Wash corridor, Simfan. There are none of these "trains" of which you speak in Houston or any other city in these part of the country.

Besides, it's freaking Kansas. Large swathes of this money is going to finance infrastructure where population density is extremely low.  It hardly makes sense for people from such places to "take the train".

[DC Al Fine]

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.

[DC Al Fine]

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.

How would I want to pay for transit development?  Double or triple the gas tax, vehicle registration taxes, carbon tax, income taxes and bold Federal spending on infrastructure.  I would also pair that with fast track authority to skip EIR and other red tape to cut down costs. 

The interstate highway system cost a half trillion dollars.  Why not try a program like that which focused on sustainable mass transit and infrastructure?

I don't disagree with you, but you are missing my point.

I'm asking how you would implement a mass transit system given the current legislative climate.

[DC Al Fine]

Also, "buses are for poor people" is bullsh*t.  Buses can, and should, be for everyone.  (And there are already apps which help with the problem you mention, which I agree is a real one.)

I take the bus. About half the time I work standard hours and get to take an express bus. It's only 5 minutes longer than driving and cheaper too. The other half, I work odd hours and take a normal bus. It takes me a full 30 minutes longer to get home and has a higher proportion of "problem passengers". I imagine your typical bus in a mid-sized American city is like my "normal bus" rather than my "express bus".

If I had to take the normal bus all the time, I'd drive... and I'm someone with a relatively low income and a somewhat progressive attitude to transportation. What's your average Joe going to do when faced with the same situation?

Part of the challenge for cities will be to make the bus more appealing to middle class commuters.