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A train station started at 6 p.m. and completed by 3:30 a.m. in Southwestern China. A Bus Rapid Transit line down Van Ness. First studied by San Francisco planners in 2001. Recently delayed by two years until 2020. http://www.sfexaminer.com/two-mile-long-van-ness-bus-lane-project-faces-two-year-delay/ …https://twitter.com/SCMP_News/status/956400880160395265 …
Since this tweet went viral, obviously yes I know that this is apples and oranges. But it is worth asking why transit infrastructure takes so long and costs so much in America. I suggest reading and following @alon_levy:https://www.the-american-interest.com/2017/02/10/why-we-cant-have-nice-things-2/ …
Whose work inspired this NYTimes story on its subway system’s out-of-control costs: The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earthhttps://nyti.ms/2pR3IlH
Sorry here: https://nyti.ms/2pR3IlH also this comparative list of costs per mile: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/01/why-its-so-expensive-to-build-urban-rail-in-the-us/551408/ …
Some excellent stuff on his blog: Why US metro stations cost so much compared to other countries: https://pedestrianobservations.com/2018/01/27/construction-costs-metro-stations/ … A teardown of @elonmusk's claims: https://pedestrianobservations.com/2017/12/15/elon-musks-ideas-about-transportation-are-boring/ … A 2011 comparison of costs per mile globally, (embarrassing for the US):https://pedestrianobservations.com/2011/05/16/us-rail-construction-costs/ …
Also, a discussion here of why it's so ridiculous that it costs *$190 MILLION* to build *TWO MILES* of *BUS LANE*, in reference to the Van Ness project I mentioned in the original tweet:https://www.thebaycitybeacon.com/politics/the-van-ness-brt-costs-way-way-too-much-pedestrian/article_06b07030-c829-11e7-8050-73ea7942d1e2.html …
This is not an argument not to invest in public transit. In contrast, I am *VERY* much a supporter of major investments in mass transit and would like to see a second Transbay Tube on the ballot in the near future. I am concerned that these costs erode public trust and
make voters less willing to support necessary long-term infrastructural investments, which in turn cede more of our systems to private solutions, which can roll out more rapidly but are insufficient in the long run.
Self-driving cars will not address the fact that we have a limited number of bridges in the Bay Area, which have limited capacity and would face an induced demand problem should AVs reduce fares/cost.
I wish there was more political-will for faster and more cost-efficient development in California
one would probably have to change core parts of how our legal system works.
China doesn't really need to reach community consensus and deal with democracy's electoral ramifications. It allows their leaders to make more mistakes. In the U.S. if some of the boondoggles happened someone's career (sadly) would be over:https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4533246/amp/Chinese-station-frozen-time-abandoned.html …
Yes - but China is an autocratic state. Do you want that?
Read the thread I posted later after that tweet. Also, who says the US is not becoming more autocratic as we speak given the current administration plus issues of increasing economic concentration + rentiering?
The projects are somewhat different in scope. A more apt comparison would be the 3 hours it took to slide a chunk of the new Bay Bridge into place https://bata.mtc.ca.gov/whats-happening/news/smooth-move-massive-new-bay-bridge-deck-segment-slides-place-ease …
There are many things more expensive in the US than Europe - health care, for example - which make straight numerical comparisons like that less useful
I don’t understand your response to her cost comparison. She’s implying a speed and cost construction advantage snd you’re restating a known difference from an unrelated industry. What are you getting at?
Agreed. We have bureaucratic incompetence, terrible and overpriced bidding, etc. Nothing in the U.S. costs a reasonable amount because business interests control our politics
Government bidding is not designed for lowering cost. The intent is equality.
It’s actually designed to do both. But doesn’t preference the lowest cost.
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