2 ms·

I'd really like to read an anonymous report from someone working in the government and who understands why the city is such a mess. Like, I read so many theorie

by baby 4y ago

I'd really like to read an anonymous report from someone working in the government and who understands why the city is such a mess. Like, I read so many theories, but they mostly seem to be written by people with an agenda or who have no clue.

jonathankoren 4y ago
If this is anything like the $20,000 trash cans[0], the price is inflated because there's only one and so all the one time costs around design and manufacturing are put on a single item. When you amortize the costs across the entire production run, it falls to a tenth the price, but "$2,000 trash can" doesn't generate headlines and outrage because that's how much a sturdy municipal trashcan costs.[1] But to talk about the nationwide problem that building anything anywhere takes orders of magnitude too long and too much, there's no smoking gun. It seems to be a combination of factors from understaffed government agencies, to invested interests, to out of date regulations, to just bad engineering and planning.[2][3] [0] https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-pricey-trash-can/2981181/ https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-pricey-t... [1] https://www.trashcanswarehouse.com/Municipal-Trash-Cans-and-Outdoor-Recycling-Bins_c_339.html https://www.trashcanswarehouse.com/Municipal-Trash-Cans-and-... [2] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/why-we-cant-figure-out-why-infrastructure-is-so-expensive.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/why-we-cant-figure-o... [3] https://www.vox.com/22534714/rail-roads-infrastructure-costs-america https://www.vox.com/22534714/rail-roads-infrastructure-costs...
- refurb 4y ago
  The bigger question is why design a new trash can in the first place? Does no current trash can exist that would work? There are hundreds of designs now for less than $1000 each. https://trashcansunlimited.com/amp/metal-armor-series/ https://trashcansunlimited.com/amp/metal-armor-series/

by baby 4y ago

jonathankoren 4y ago

If this is anything like the $20,000 trash cans[0], the price is inflated because there's only one and so all the one time costs around design and manufacturing are put on a single item. When you amortize the costs across the entire production run, it falls to a tenth the price, but "$2,000 trash can" doesn't generate headlines and outrage because that's how much a sturdy municipal trashcan costs.[1] But to talk about the nationwide problem that building anything anywhere takes orders of magnitude too long and too much, there's no smoking gun. It seems to be a combination of factors from understaffed government agencies, to invested interests, to out of date regulations, to just bad engineering and planning.[2][3] [0] https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-pricey-trash-can/2981181/ https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco-pricey-t... [1] https://www.trashcanswarehouse.com/Municipal-Trash-Cans-and-Outdoor-Recycling-Bins_c_339.html https://www.trashcanswarehouse.com/Municipal-Trash-Cans-and-... [2] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/why-we-cant-figure-out-why-infrastructure-is-so-expensive.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/why-we-cant-figure-o... [3] https://www.vox.com/22534714/rail-roads-infrastructure-costs-america https://www.vox.com/22534714/rail-roads-infrastructure-costs...

refurb 4y ago
The bigger question is why design a new trash can in the first place? Does no current trash can exist that would work? There are hundreds of designs now for less than $1000 each. https://trashcansunlimited.com/amp/metal-armor-series/ https://trashcansunlimited.com/amp/metal-armor-series/