It seems that every major American infrastructure project is dominated by concerns other than building a practical, efficient forms of transportation.
Transportation projects are dominated by politics, handouts, corruption and excessive opposition to transportation even existing, while ignoring practical and common sense ideas.
The Cal High speed rail is a perfect example. Routes that don't serve major population centers, fights over land use, fights over whether a rail line should even exist, circuitous routes to reward political supporters, lack of transparency and auditing tools, cost overruns and corruption...
There's a good write up here: https://www.city-journal.org/californias-high-speed-rail-pro...
Europe and Asia just build transit to be transit. In the US at least, if something actually gets built and used it's just a nice side effect.
Transportation projects are dominated by politics, handouts, corruption and excessive opposition to transportation even existing, while ignoring practical and common sense ideas.
The Cal High speed rail is a perfect example. Routes that don't serve major population centers, fights over land use, fights over whether a rail line should even exist, circuitous routes to reward political supporters, lack of transparency and auditing tools, cost overruns and corruption...
There's a good write up here: https://www.city-journal.org/californias-high-speed-rail-pro...
Europe and Asia just build transit to be transit. In the US at least, if something actually gets built and used it's just a nice side effect.