• ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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      17 hours ago

      Trains would definitely be a great choice. But in a lot of places in the midwestern US, the economic realities of fixed transit infrastructure are tricky.

      Not impossible. I’m definitely not saying that. But they’d require more regulatory steps than a robust bus network, for instance.

      • outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        17 hours ago

        Tell that to the pre world war two united states, porphyriato era mexico, and literally siberia.

        I’m so glad roads are flexible and free.

        • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          Yeah, I know. But the last two were accomplished largely by fiat. Which should be impossible in the US, though…you know.

          And the pre-WW2 US had the advantage of essentially being pre-suburbs. Now sprawl means that the cost of adequate rail connections increases exponentially while the tax base increases linearly.

          Again, like I said before, this is not impossible. But it will require a concerted effort to reverse a century’s worth of underinvestment in urban areas, white flight, and stigmatization of multi-family living; and right now, we’re doing the opposite of all of those things.