Lets get real here, its partially a chicken and egg problem, but the population and density has to be there to support such a dense and useful train system. Par

Lets get real here, its partially a chicken and egg problem, but the population and density has to be there to support such a dense and useful train system. Parts of my city (Chicago) support the kind of rail stations he talks about. Some parts do not as the density here varies greatly but generally speaking... Tokyo has nearly 10 million people in about 1000 square miles of land Chicago has nearly 3 million people in about 10000 square miles of land Tokyo probably has at least 5 metropolitan cities of greater than 1 million people within 600 miles. Chicago has none, New York is about 730 miles away. Clearly a world of difference in the sort of density and distances that just don't necessarily support the same kind of rail system. Even then parts of Chicago closely match his experience in Tokyo, though certainly not to the same quantity and quality. A picture of a far north chicago L stop I lived near at one point in my life, right near the end of the line. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morse/@42.0082879,-87.6681424,1178m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x880fd1ae5bbe3967:0x43666fdee150c8fd!8m2!3d42.0082839!4d-87.6659537 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Morse/@42.0082879,-87.6681... Nearly every stop along that train route is in the center of a neighborhood at least going north. Where Chicago screwed up was putting L stops in the middle of freeways rather than in the center of neighborhoods for certain sections and lines. It honestly makes those areas feel like the heart of the neighborhood has been cut out of it, there is no central spot where people have a reason to be. And who really wants to live right next to a 12/8/6 lane free way? No one, and certainly that's where Chicago neighborhoods no longer feel like the cozy place where people hang out, eat, drink, and catch their ride into work.