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The problem in the US though is that once you get to your destination you are probably in a city dependent on cars because of such poor walkability and public t
by fellowniusmonk 3y ago
The problem in the US though is that once you get to your destination you are probably in a city dependent on cars because of such poor walkability and public transport, so now you have to rent a car as well.
Looking at travel from Austin to SF, taking a train is a longer duration trip and costs more.
One way on Oct 20th, Kayak has a flight for $119 and Wanderu has a train trip for $662 that is 3 days and 8 hours in duration.
If I could take my car on this train it might be worth it, from a cost and logistics standpoint train pretty much always loses.
I say this as someone who grew up enjoying the metro in dc and ny and use rail and ferry's when overseas.
Until infrastructure, subsidies and other externalities are addressed train travel will not be competitive, I have far more hope for level 3 self driving cars than I do for walkable cities and train travel parity.
- jcranmer 3y agoAmtrak has an auto train route from ~DC to ~Orlando.
- bombcar 3y agoIt was (and may still be) Amtraks only profitable long distance line.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago> ... you are probably in a city dependent on cars because of such poor walkability and public transport [ .... ] If I could take my car on this train it might be worth it ... Take your bike!
- justrealist 3y agoYeah so I'm not going to take my 2 year old and 1 year old and all associated baggage to the hotel on my bike.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y agoWould you try to do that on public transit, if it was better?
- ThePowerOfFuet 3y agoEurope here, and yes, that's what people do.
- rcMgD2BwE72F 3y agoFrance here. I do take my bike everywhere (RER, TER, TGV… I've never had a car and rented <10x in my life, at 37 y-o). But it's getting difficult to find/book a place in most fast trains, especially between Paris and Loire Valley as there are too few racks available and biking is becoming more popular. I wish all major train stations had 24/7 bike renting service, including for bikepacking.
- PaulDavisThe1st 3y agoI am actually aware of that. I was trying to discern whether or not the person I was replying to is actually criticizing public transit infrastructure in US cities or has just accepted that you need a car (easy to understand why that might be, even if it is not necessarily true).
- bombcar 3y agoMy kids could travel on public transit easily when it’s a good day. There have been numerous times when I’ve been very glad that I had a vehicle to load them all into to contain the current detonations occuring.
- justrealist 3y agoI have no objection to using a train, if it's actually point-to-point. (but like, actually point to point. not, get to downtown and walk another 1.5 miles or wait 45 minutes for a bus transfer).
- Doctor_Fegg 3y ago
- Rebelgecko 3y agoFor routes where the bike area is first come first serve, how common is it for them to run out of space?
- bombcar 3y agoI’ve never seen it be a problem the few times I’ve noticed, but the conductors also bend the rules (hopefully not the bikes!) to make it work.