Until American transit agencies escape from the mindset that they're here to provide [basically] FREE transportation, and adopt instead the mindset that they're here to provide MASS transportation, transit will remain insufficient and low-quality
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Replying to @380kmh
Is American public transit substantially cheaper for users than in Western Europe?
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Replying to @benjamindcrosby
Western Europe isn't the model I have in mind here, it's Japan--the fare structures there are almost always based on distance traveled, so usually ends up costing more for the sorts of distances typical in USA
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Replying to @380kmh @benjamindcrosby
Also because there is no expectation that fares should cover operations, there is much more pressure here to provide transit in places where it can't possibly operate effectively
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Replying to @380kmh @benjamindcrosby
Japan National Railways faced this problem before privatization: because the entire country supported it through taxes, the entire country felt entitled to rail access, no matter how impractical. The result was a pileup of loss-making lines and enormous debt...
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...after privatization, those loss-making lines met one of three fates: - incorporation into a JNR successor company and cross-funded by profitable routes w/in that company - partial ownership given to local governments, so local taxpayers supported instead of national - closure
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