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Comment by jschveibinz | Hacker News Reader

Subways just aren’t necessary in most US cities. Buses and dedicated surface busways are the answer—using new clean technologies such as electric or hydrogen.

In a way only the US can do, we need to kill the romance with trains and subways and just be practical. Wheels are wheels. Put the money into comfortable new buses; keep them clean and well-maintained; and reduce car traffic in the city centers by creating designated busways and major parking facilities.

It was honestly be great if I could drive to within 15 miles of LA and park my car in a secure parking lot and get on an an express bus into the city center. That’s my dream.

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I’m not sure why there is such a negative opinion of rapid bus service. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a modern, established and well-researched alternative to subways. In fact, when implemented similar to light-rail, the speed of BRT can be comparable to subways.

https://thecityfix.com/blog/are-trains-better-than-bus-rapid...

With BRT, city traffic flow must be adjusted. But this is a good thing: less cars in the inner city encourages use of public transportation.

Commercial interests have traditionally balked at reducing car traffic in the inner city. There is fear that if people can’t drive to their store, they won’t come at all.

But in the post-Covid reality, retail in the inner city is primarily for inner city dwellers-not for suburbanites. Work-from-home keeps many in the suburbs anyway. And finally, online retail is continuing to grow.

The time has come for commercial real estate interests to recognize that the value of their properties is in the uniqueness of the most valuable aspect of the city experience. Their commercial spaces need to become “experience destinations”. This experience can only be enhanced by clean and comfortable rapid transit.

BRT is roughly 20% of the cost of subways.

https://www.masstransitmag.com/bus/infrastructure/article/21...

This is just hard to believe I understand it's your dream but it's not real. You have people ban the original without the alternative being viable. Banning gas stoves. Banning gas cars. California has been working on HSR since 1996 and all they have to show for it is 0 viable miles of track and endless Stone Henge miles of track

Busses are way too slow. I live in NYC with the subways. We do have dedicated bus lanes and express busses in NYC and they are way too slow. There is something called, "traffic" A 45 minute drive during rush hour, which is when most people take transit and which is faster than buses, is 15-20 mins door-to-door by subway including some walking.

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