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This question need only be asked if we continue to insist that every person should have their own private vehicle to get places. Why can't we go back to trains

This question need only be asked if we continue to insist that every person should have their own private vehicle to get places. Why can't we go back to trains instead and use bicycles or e-bikes for the last stretches? Most car journeys are under 5 miles and are probably as fast on a bike if you account for the time spent sitting in traffic in the car. Any longer journey is happening along a highway which could just be replaced with rails that can bring trains of way more people at way greater speeds from place to place.

Reason077 5y ago
The good news is that the mass industrialisation of battery production for the auto industry will also mean cheaper batteries for e-bikes and other personal electric mobility vehicles.
monkeynotes 5y ago
Cars can carry much more than a bike, I can't do my grocery shopping with an e-bike. Cars insulate you from the environment, heat, cold, rain etc. Bikes can leave you sweaty, freezing, or wet. Rail is a complex solution. The UK has lots of rail but I'd do anything to avoid using it for anything other than day-trips. Commuting or depending on rail is a depressing experience. Granted the UK's rail network is Victorian but even with a modern infrastructure the challenges of running an efficient rail network are numerous. Some countries nail it, it's doable but I am skeptical that the UK could replace motorways with rail in any meaningful way.
- kiliantics 5y ago
  I do all my groceries on a bike pretty easily. If you need to haul large loads, like gravel or cement or something, you can look into a cargo bike. Pushing a 1000+ kg car around by burning fuel is complete overkill for almost all journeys. I've depended on rail and bike my whole life without getting depressed. The only thing that makes me sad is how many more cars and how much larger they are these days, causing more traffic, more pollution, and creating more danger for pedestrians and cyclists. In some ways, rail is a lot simpler than cars and roads. You have one solution to serve everyone, rather than depending on many institutions to build cars, maintain roads, enforce traffic rules, etc. I've seen a pretty clear trend of worsening road quality, more disregard for rules and lack of consequence, and more wasteful vehicles as I've grown older. Instead we could have put all the resources that go into that system into one of more efficiency, comfort, and cleanliness and which worked for more people.
glitchc 5y ago
If you value your time, the convenience of a car cannot be beaten, especially for unplanned trips. Even most of those who ride buses aspire to own a car one day.
GravitasFailure 5y ago
I would be absolutely delighted to use public transit to transport 250kgs of equipment, radios, drones, and firearms to a site after a natural disaster. I'm certain that will be possible.

Reason077 5y ago

The good news is that the mass industrialisation of battery production for the auto industry will also mean cheaper batteries for e-bikes and other personal electric mobility vehicles.

monkeynotes 5y ago

Cars can carry much more than a bike, I can't do my grocery shopping with an e-bike. Cars insulate you from the environment, heat, cold, rain etc. Bikes can leave you sweaty, freezing, or wet. Rail is a complex solution. The UK has lots of rail but I'd do anything to avoid using it for anything other than day-trips. Commuting or depending on rail is a depressing experience. Granted the UK's rail network is Victorian but even with a modern infrastructure the challenges of running an efficient rail network are numerous. Some countries nail it, it's doable but I am skeptical that the UK could replace motorways with rail in any meaningful way.

kiliantics 5y ago
I do all my groceries on a bike pretty easily. If you need to haul large loads, like gravel or cement or something, you can look into a cargo bike. Pushing a 1000+ kg car around by burning fuel is complete overkill for almost all journeys. I've depended on rail and bike my whole life without getting depressed. The only thing that makes me sad is how many more cars and how much larger they are these days, causing more traffic, more pollution, and creating more danger for pedestrians and cyclists. In some ways, rail is a lot simpler than cars and roads. You have one solution to serve everyone, rather than depending on many institutions to build cars, maintain roads, enforce traffic rules, etc. I've seen a pretty clear trend of worsening road quality, more disregard for rules and lack of consequence, and more wasteful vehicles as I've grown older. Instead we could have put all the resources that go into that system into one of more efficiency, comfort, and cleanliness and which worked for more people.

glitchc 5y ago

If you value your time, the convenience of a car cannot be beaten, especially for unplanned trips. Even most of those who ride buses aspire to own a car one day.

GravitasFailure 5y ago

I would be absolutely delighted to use public transit to transport 250kgs of equipment, radios, drones, and firearms to a site after a natural disaster. I'm certain that will be possible.