What if investors poured 9 billion into making light rail cheaper, and then 1 billion into light rail? Where would we be then? Other countries don't spend 2 billion dollars a mile. Hire the best engineers from Europe and Asia.
They would have to put that 9 billion into a political takeover of the US government, a major rewriting of environmental and property laws, and silencing/steamrolling opposing interest groups.
This is a pretty tall order.
I dont think AI cost much at all because politicians were largely supportive to begin with, and the legal changes were small if any.
It would be different if you had to replace them all or change their mind on a deeply held issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Line_(Maryland)
> A March 2025 report by the Maryland comptroller's office found that permitting and legal fees for the project, originally budgeted at $6 million, had actually consumed roughly $800 million, thanks to two lawsuits and the contract renegotiations
Better tech cannot solve that on its own, the problem is not even there.