The right of way is expensive. The land costs more, and the political cost is even greater. And the compromising that ensues ends up creating an even more disjo

The right of way is expensive. The land costs more, and the political cost is even greater. And the compromising that ensues ends up creating an even more disjointed an non-viable system. Look at L.A.'s subway. It's not generally useful in that there is so much sprawl compared to the system that overwhelmingly people find alternatives more generally available. And it's seeing its lowest ridership in a decade, which is the opposite of what you'd expect in a successful system in a growing city.