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> "The real reason there's sticker shock is that the real cost of road transportation is hidden from most voters. Gas tax money goes to states and the US Depart
by iaw 9y ago
> "The real reason there's sticker shock is that the real cost of road transportation is hidden from most voters. Gas tax money goes to states and the US Department of Transportation which flows back as what seems like free federal money to build a lot of roads. Meanwhile, every transit project has to scrimp for funds..." "...estimated that tolls would have to be at least $41 to pay off the costs of construction."
A lot of people take for granted the Eisenhower interstate infrastructure.
- sergers 9y agoRecent new bridge in BC, Port mann bridge, was tolled. But due to lack of ridership, and overhead tolling, they were never going to pay off the bridge. It's now taken from taxes, everyone in the province pays.
- jessriedel 9y agoLarge public construction projects are vastly more expensive (in real dollars) today than in Eisenhower's.
- mfgmfg 9y agoWill they last proportionally as long?
- jessriedel 9y agoNo idea and I'm certainly not claiming that. The reasons for the dramatic increase in costs in the US is not well understood by academics.
- crankylinuxuser 9y agoIt's a simple answer and no clue how to actually fix it. It's because the US is being bifurcated into a 1st world and 3rd world in the same country. Both use significant corruption in very different ways to get things done. The price increases you're seeing is the response to the various types of corruption used. How do you fix it? Go back to many of the Socialist policies from the '40s that were enacted then, and maintained until the Capitalists chipped at them one at a time. In other words, reign in the Capitalists, and protect the working class. That's a solid way to reduce corruption. It wont happen immediately. It'd likely take a Great Depression style event, ousting of many Capitalists, and laws passed like they were in the 40's. If it doesn't happen, the Capitalists will just loot more and use their bought out govt regulation to claim legality. And the working class will cheat the capitalists because they wouldn't be able to get back to where they used to be if they didn't. And, the Capitalists need the workers. Not enough people on the rich end to actually do the hard work needed.
- mjevans 9y agoA lack of urban planning. * Not enough family sized units in the city (drive down cost with supply). * Insufficient quality of life in building codes. (Noise, smell, clean air, green spaces) * Lack of vertical density; This is begging for Cave of Steel like results complete with indoor parks and atriums.
- closeparen 9y agoThere's not a lack of urban planning; there's an urban planning (and popular) consensus "lack of vertical density" == "quality of life."
- CPLX 9y agoThat set of values is certainly not a consensus opinion.
- closeparen 9y agoIt’s the set of values that controls nearly all land use policy in the United States. YIMBYism exists, and I am one, but I recognize that pro-skyscraper or even pro-mid-rise is a fringe position.
- Demoneeri 9y agoDensity =/= high rise. Lots of 3-5-story building mix with townhouses creates the density you need with a human-size feel.
- gji 9y agoCambridge (MA) is like this, but housing prices are still pretty unreasonable. You definitely need taller buildings.
- kalleboo 9y agoAn interesting contrast is Japan, where the highway system was totally privatized, and to get almost anywhere you have to pay tolls. A 300 km (280 mi) drive can cost you 6000 yen ($50) in tolls. Of course in Japan there are usually alternatives. Not always any cheaper though. The bullet train for the same route as above costs 9000 yen, but is 3x faster than driving.
- megablast 9y agoThis is fantastic, and as it should be everywhere.