why can’t America’s urban cities figure out public transportation

a damn shame

building @revealcam @alfaca @offmarket @perl | alum South Park Commons | previously cofounder SBLY.com, eng at Stripe | peter-kim.com

Compared to Europe:

Union labor policies result in way more people required to do the same amount of work. 

Huge culture of safetyism in regulatory massively slows stuff down. 

And then the US is way more litigious (trial lawyers are huge Democrat donors, so no reform). 

Ironic, since average Democratic voter is pro public transit. But the policies cause massive downstream effects.

It’s a mix of outdated infrastructure, political priorities, and funding struggles. Plus, sprawling city layouts and car culture make it harder to build efficient systems. Definitely a shame — good public transit could change so many lives.

The first question I ask for all things American politics is:  “Is there a consensus that this is a problem that needs fixing?” In most cases the answer is no and that is the root of inaction.