• lemmock@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    It’s easy to be cynical and point your finger at the corporations and politicians. They certainly play their role in the problem, but placing blame solely on them is really uninformed.

    People in the US are spread way the hell out. It’s difficult for lower population areas to institute mass transit that is economically viable due to the low density and distances involved.

    And as far as major urban areas with really high population densities? Not everyone who works in a large city lives there. Some people travel 1-2 hours one-way to make more money in the city and live somewhere much more affordable in the suburbs. It’s very hard to effectively service all of the suburban areas that surround large cities.

    Bottom line, it’s as much of a logistical problem as any other reason.

    • zqps@sh.itjust.works
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      13 hours ago

      Commuting from the suburbs to the city center is a perfect use case for advanced high-capacity public transportation. It’s something that most cities on earth manage, the US could too.

      Also this isn’t theoretical. The deliberate prevention of new and in some cases destruction of existing public transportation in the US to increase car dependency is well-documented.

    • macniel@feddit.org
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      14 hours ago

      The pressing question is: why must public transport he economical viable when its supposed to enable the economy by moving people from their homes to the working place?