4 ms·

Public transportation is inherently centralized. Cars are anti-fragile and decentralized. Cars fail open in the short term.

• formerly_proven 1y ago
  Traditional train systems themselves are extremely decentralized, though scheduling is not. Traditional interlockings form a mirroring mesh network parallel to the physical network of steel rails itself.
  • xnx 1y ago
    Train tracks are a form of centralization. Without the ability to reroute around disruptions (like cars and buses) a single stopped train (e.g. due to mechanical or passenger issues) can stop everything.
    • ForOldHack 1y ago
      BART is dual track around the entire system, except for side yard entrances. I have seen stopped trains, and it was worked around. One I was on caught fire I. The middle of a station and it did not close the line. It slowed it down a lot but did not stop. There are so many systems in place, it's a quite complex system. The real heros? The bus drivers. The baddies? The planners, the management. The evil? Pure unadulterated evil? The AC Transit app. I would give it a -11.
• rafram 1y ago
  Tell that to someone in a two-hour traffic jam on the highway.
• loire280 1y ago
  Buses are the resilient backup for trains, especially if road infrastructure has been designed to prioritize transit (e.g. Chicago highways with shoulders designed to let Pace buses bypass traffic jams).
• namuol 1y ago
  No. Cars rely on centralized road systems.