@mchill saidThe U.S. is not Japan or France — it’s geographically vast, lower-density, and built around cars and air travel.
Q: what would be the ideal motoring, driving, situation??
A: High speed rail. European trains average 200MPH. America - 48MPH
Q: Why do democrats require showing photo ID to vote AGAINST photo ID?!?!?
A: Because it causes Joe to use punction such as:?!?!?
Joe, your question makes no sense whatsoever.
I looked this up. Remember Americans really like our cars. Most families have two or more cars. We can get places in our cars by the time we would go to a train station and then when we got off at the train station, how would we get around. Such as that. We have a different lifestyle than do the Europeans.
1.Distance problem
High-speed rail competes best at 200–500 miles. Much of America’s major city pairs exceed that. For 800–1,500 mile trips, flying wins on time and often cost.
2.Density mismatch
Systems in Japan and France connect dense urban cores with strong transit networks. Most U.S. metro areas are suburban and car-dependent.
3.Cost reality
The ongoing struggles of California High-Speed Rail show how expensive and politically difficult large rail builds are in the U.S.
My answer to your other question is that the senators will require photo identification to enter the chamber to vote on whether to require citizens to enter voting precincts.
Why would you say that this quest makes no sense? Senator Osoff in his home state of Georgia required photo identification for people to enter his Townhall meeting. Yet he is not in favor of photo ID for people to vote.. He is a hypocrite. The question makes perfect sense, thank you very much.
I can’t wait for marauder to answer my question which I put to him just a little while ago , as to what he would say if photo ID was in everybody’s pocket tomorrow morning. Would he then say it is OK to require such photo ID to vote in a voting precinct?
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@Soothfast
You misspelled infernal combustion engine ....
Be that as it may, the years of the privately-owned passenger motor-vehicle are numbered. It wasn't until the 1960s that the privately-owned motor vehicle replaced the bicycle as the working man's primary mode of local transport in England. The human-powered vehicle is still in common use in much of Asia for local transport. It will come again to the post-industrialized world, but not in my lifetime.
What I foresee are the following:
1. Autonomous self-driving vehicles will be used for heavy goods transport over long distances, on specially designed tracks or roadways where only self-driving AI-guided vehicles are underway.
2. For local delivery of groceries, pharmaceuticals, and other household items, a combination of transport vehicles will gradually replace each housewife/man/other driving separately to five different stores on a daily basis: instead, AI-guided drones and human-piloted delivery vans will make regular batch deliveries to neighborhood drop-off points, just like people used to get their post at a post office box. DHL is already placing pick-up-&-drop-off points around cities in Tschermany. During the COVID lockdown, we saw the rise of online ordering and batch delivering--it works. ( I'm old enough to remember when the local dairy delivered fresh milk to our door.) We also saw that home-office works for a great many professions where customers or clients don't expect face-to-face contact.
3. Car sharing--it does not much matter whether gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or electric--for those just have to have access to a vehicle for special trips (to the doctor or whatever). But frankly, most privately owned passenger cars are standing still, in garages or parking lots, 90% of the time; these could be reduced in number and shared by several families in a neighborhood.
4. Kids will ride their bikes to baseball practice--just as I did when I was a kid (except it was the chess club in my case). The idea that each mother just has to drive her kid to baseball practice is mad and not sustainable.
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@mchill saidAmtrak's new Airo is supposed to have a max speed of 200 km/hour, or 125mph.
Q: what would be the ideal motoring, driving, situation??
A: High speed rail. European trains average 200MPH. America - 48MPH
To put in bullet trains here would be to require new infrastructure, including isolated tracks to keep dumbass Americans from colliding with them, and we know how the Republicans HATE infrastructure.
@Suzianne saidIt's terribly hard, and expensive, to play catch-up with infrastructure. It is much cheaper, in the long run, to maintain the rolling stock and the tracks as you go, instead of waiting for something to break, kill people, have an investigation, and try to fix it. Britain is discovering this--their rail system is a weird mix of hi-tech and out-dated, no doubt because they sold it off to multiple privateers during the Thatcher years.
Amtrak's new Airo is supposed to have a max speed of 200 km/hour, or 125mph.
To put in bullet trains here would be to require new infrastructure, including isolated tracks to keep dumbass Americans from colliding with them, and we know how the Republicans HATE infrastructure.
The Swiss rail system is brilliant. Expensive, but the best I've ever seen: clean, safe, on time, and well maintained.
I don't see Americans getting on long-haul trains, ever again. Americans are as enamored of their private cars as they are of guns. Some local metros, as in the greater D.C. area function well though.
@moonbus said“The Swiss rail system is brilliant. Expensive, but the best I've ever seen: clean, safe, on time, and well maintained.”
It's terribly hard, and expensive, to play catch-up with infrastructure. It is much cheaper, in the long run, to maintain the rolling stock and the tracks as you go, instead of waiting for something to break, kill people, have an investigation, and try to fix it. Britain is discovering this--their rail system is a weird mix of hi-tech and out-dated, no doubt because they sold ...[text shortened]... ivate cars as they are of guns. Some local metros, as in the greater D.C. area function well though.
That’s the way we haul cattle here in the US
@moonbus saidCar sharing?
@Soothfast
You misspelled infernal combustion engine ....
Be that as it may, the years of the privately-owned passenger motor-vehicle are numbered. It wasn't until the 1960s that the privately-owned motor vehicle replaced the bicycle as the working man's primary mode of local transport in England. The human-powered vehicle is still in common use in much of Asia for loca ...[text shortened]... a that each mother just has to drive her kid to baseball practice is mad and not sustainable.
@moonbus saidMight be so ..... in Europe and in some cities.
@Soothfast
You misspelled infernal combustion engine ....
Be that as it may, the years of the privately-owned passenger motor-vehicle are numbered. It wasn't until the 1960s that the privately-owned motor vehicle replaced the bicycle as the working man's primary mode of local transport in England. The human-powered vehicle is still in common use in much of Asia for loca ...[text shortened]... a that each mother just has to drive her kid to baseball practice is mad and not sustainable.
That aint happening where I live like on quiet islands, neither in countryside where the population is 5 per sq mile, neither in poor countries all over Africa, India etc.
Also you are misgauging the amount of people who enjoy messing around with ICE [internal combustion engines].
I would say 2 generations or 3, say 100 years again.
@AverageJoe1 saidIt's a thing.
Car sharing?
https://liveingermany.de/car-sharing-in-germany/
https://www.flinkster.de/en/home
https://www.cambio-carsharing.de/
https://www.miles-mobility.com/en-de
@moonbus said? Germany.
It's a thing.
https://liveingermany.de/car-sharing-in-germany/
https://www.flinkster.de/en/home
https://www.cambio-carsharing.de/
https://www.miles-mobility.com/en-de
Yes, see posts that we are diff in America. I would not involve me or my car in such an enterprise. My brother‘s nephew started a bus Enterprise in one of the ski resorts to shuttle people from hotels to the slopes. He has made a lot of money. He actually thought about this type of an Enterprise as well, I told him I was not interested in investing. It frankly is not feasible except in some limited circumstance, like the ski slope. America is huge.
Germany??
@AverageJoe1 saidGermans invented both the automobile and the Autobahn, so they have some experience of this sort of thing. Car sharing is not like wife sharing; you don't just swap with your neighbor--that's not how it works. A corporation owns the cars and parks them in common places reserved for them. The company assumes costs for maintenance and repairs. But drivers still have to have private insurance.
? Germany.
Yes, see posts that we are diff in America. I would not involve me or my car in such an enterprise. My brother‘s nephew started a bus Enterprise in one of the ski resorts to shuttle people from hotels to the slopes. He has made a lot of money. He actually thought about this type of an Enterprise as well, I told him I was not interested in investing. ...[text shortened]... not feasible except in some limited circumstance, like the ski slope. America is huge.
Germany??
People sign up with the company and then have access to multiple vehicles on a first-come-first-served basis. Vehicles can be reserved online spontaneously (depending on availability), and reliably weeks or months in advance, including on a regular basis (for commuters). The only catch is, you never know exactly which car it will be, though you can choose at least the size (four-door passenger, two-door econo, mini-van. etc.). This a) cheaper than each person owning his own car, b) more efficient of resources, since the cars are used more frequently (not parked 90% of the time), and c) very flexible (since you can order a small car for going to the doctor and a biggy for going to IKEA).
This is a sensible solution for densely populated residential areas.
@moonbus saidThat sounds like a good business model, I myself would invest in that. Because, our country is a nation of convenience, if nothing else. If it was built properly, I would investigate it. Probably use it on some occasions. But remember that the USA is quite expansivel, and we like to jump in our car and takeoff two or 300 miles like it’s nothing to see our grandmother. I can’t imagine bumping around trying to find some used car and worry about when I’m gonna get it back. And how much is gonna cost me each day. So I wouldnprobably not use it except when I… Well, I can’t really know when I would use it. If I catch a flight to Vail, I’m gonna take the local 15 minute jaunts all week by uber, and and not have some car sitting there.
Germans invented both the automobile and the Autobahn, so they have some experience of this sort of thing. Car sharing is not like wife sharing; you don't just swap with your neighbor--that's not how it works. A corporation owns the cars and parks them in common places reserved for them. The company assumes costs for maintenance and repairs. But drivers still have to have pri ...[text shortened]... a biggy for going to IKEA).
This is a sensible solution for densely populated residential areas.
I think maybe uber has this already covered. I would rather fly. Busy, busy.
@AverageJoe1 saidCentral European inner cities were almost all built before the advent of the motor vehicle, so parking is at a premium; cities here just don't have acres and acres of parking lots in front of stores. This is markedly different to the USA. So, in Europe, the convenience of being to leave whenever you want to is countered by the uncertainty of finding a parking place in town when you arrive. There are numerous park-&-ride options in European cities: that is, big parking lots just outside of town, with public transport to take commuters in to work or shopping; this is a feasible alternative to everyone driving his private vehicle into the inner city. Not needed in the USA of course, where you have acres and acres of space for parking.
That sounds like a good business model, I myself would invest in that. Because, our country is a nation of convenience, if nothing else. If it was built properly, I would investigate it. Probably use it on some occasions. But remember that the USA is quite expansivel, and we like to jump in our car and takeoff two or 300 miles like it’s nothing to see our grandmother. I c ...[text shortened]... sitting there.
I think maybe uber has this already covered. I would rather fly. Busy, busy.
Obviously, where you have 300 miles to cover, and you might not know when you're coming back, car-sharing is a sub-optimal option.
Europe also has so-called kiss-&-drop zones in some inner cities: drive-through lanes near schools, train stations, and business parks, where wifey drops off hubby, gives him a kiss, and drives on to her next destination--so they don't need to take two cars into town.
There are lots of creative solutions to traffic congestion.
@moonbus saidParking is not a premium here. Google a PUBLIX supermarket in Florida, 100s of spaces.
Central European inner cities were almost all built before the advent of the motor vehicle, so parking is at a premium; cities here just don't have acres and acres of parking lots in front of stores. This is markedly different to the USA. So, in Europe, the convenience of being to leave whenever you want to is countered by the uncertainty of finding a parking place in town wh ...[text shortened]... on't need to take two cars into town.
There are lots of creative solutions to traffic congestion.
So, you say in Europe 'convenience to leave when you want to". Here , same thing.
Some lf your phrases (park and ride?) suggest dependence on others?? No way. We like self-reliance, eschew communal reliance.
Other phrases......."public transport,' 'take commuters'; 'sub-optimal' 'train station'. 'drop off'
BRRRRRRR
@AverageJoe1 saidGoogle what happens if you park there and don't shop at PUBLIX
Parking is not a premium here. Google a PUBLIX supermarket in Florida, 100s of spaces.
So, you say in Europe 'convenience to leave when you want to". Here , same thing.
Some lf your phrases (park and ride?) suggest dependence on others?? No way. We like self-reliance, eschew communal reliance.
Other phrases......."public transport,' 'take commuters'; 'sub-optimal' 'train station'. 'drop off'
BRRRRRRR
There are nearly empty parking lots all over the place but people can't park there unless someone is getting paid. Street parking sucks.