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> sparse population > low population These are not the same thing. Switzerland has a pretty dense population. The section with low population is the Alps, whe

> sparse population > low population These are not the same thing. Switzerland has a pretty dense population. The section with low population is the Alps, where you're not going to put trains anyway. https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/12614_75_3501_70/20695.html https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/de/12614_75_3501_70/2... Most people that live in remote areas have cars anyway, since sometimes busses only run twice a day. It's a tricky problem to measure "access to public transit". (The BFS is an amazing source for information, they publish all kinds of statistics)

gernb 4y ago
Switzerland has a similar number of people the bay area, 7-8 million, and is twice as large. So it stands to reason the bay area could have a system as large, useful, and as efficient as Switzerland if not better given it has the amount of same people in a smaller less mountainous area.
- kortilla 4y ago
  You just confused the Bay Area with “the western US”.
  - gernb 4y ago
    How so? Population Bay Area 7.7 million https://www.google.com/search?q=population+bay+area https://www.google.com/search?q=population+bay+area Population of Switzerland: 8.6 million https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+swizterland https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+swizterland Size of Bay Area: 6900sq miles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_the_San_Francisco_Bay_Area# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_th... Size of Switzerland: 15940sq miles https://www.google.com/search?q=size+of+swizterland https://www.google.com/search?q=size+of+swizterland
    - kortilla 4y ago
      You picked a tiny subsection of the western US to be representative of it. See if your comparisons make any sense looking around Fresno and Bakersfield (which is still generous). Then do the area around Elko Nevada.
      - gernb 4y ago
        I'm still not sure what your point is. My point is the Bay Area has shitty transit and people claim it's because it's spread out. Switzerland is proof that's bullshit. That the same is not true for Fresno or Bakersfield has no relationship to my point. I don't really know what your point is. That we can't have trains that cover the entire country? So what. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have more in highly populated areas.

gernb 4y ago

Switzerland has a similar number of people the bay area, 7-8 million, and is twice as large. So it stands to reason the bay area could have a system as large, useful, and as efficient as Switzerland if not better given it has the amount of same people in a smaller less mountainous area.

kortilla 4y ago
You just confused the Bay Area with “the western US”.
- gernb 4y ago
  How so? Population Bay Area 7.7 million https://www.google.com/search?q=population+bay+area https://www.google.com/search?q=population+bay+area Population of Switzerland: 8.6 million https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+swizterland https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+swizterland Size of Bay Area: 6900sq miles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_the_San_Francisco_Bay_Area# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_th... Size of Switzerland: 15940sq miles https://www.google.com/search?q=size+of+swizterland https://www.google.com/search?q=size+of+swizterland
  - kortilla 4y ago
    You picked a tiny subsection of the western US to be representative of it. See if your comparisons make any sense looking around Fresno and Bakersfield (which is still generous). Then do the area around Elko Nevada.
    - gernb 4y ago
      I'm still not sure what your point is. My point is the Bay Area has shitty transit and people claim it's because it's spread out. Switzerland is proof that's bullshit. That the same is not true for Fresno or Bakersfield has no relationship to my point. I don't really know what your point is. That we can't have trains that cover the entire country? So what. That doesn't mean we shouldn't have more in highly populated areas.