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I agree that rail isn't the only solution. Rail is a solution to state highway overcrowding and conditions, but not feasible for local transit.
It would take a lot of systems cooperating, but I wouldn't say it's insane. People do it all over the nation everyday. Seattle has what I consider to be one the best in the nation, almost all of New England has a superb network of transportation alternatives that make transprotation a breeze. People "commute" into NYC from, literally, all over the neighboring states. You can be from any street in Massachusetts down to any street in DC in just a couple hours.
A well-planned transit system can get you places FAR faster than driving could and with far less hassle. Unfortunately we're so far behind the curve it will take decades for most of the cities in the US to get to that point, let alone all the outlying areas.
For example, it's expected to take 17 years to build a 30 mile rail-line from Denton to Dallas. And the huge NAFTA Corridor that our Governor wants to build straight through the state and carry on to Canada (10 lane freeway with 4 rail lines in the middle) is expected to take 50-75 years just for the Texas portion.
And I'm also not just talking about a fuel issue. Simple fact is that we can't build roads fast enough to satisfy the population growth. Interstate commerce will no longer be very viable within 20 years at the rate we're going. Our roads are getting crowded, and the ones we have we can't afford to shut-down and repair even if we had the money to do it.
2003 Mazda6s 3.0L MTX
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2004 Mazda3s 2.3L ATX
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Originally posted by sigma:
It would take a lot of systems cooperating, but I wouldn't say it's insane. People do it all over the nation everyday. Seattle has what I consider to be one the best in the nation, almost all of New England has a superb network of transportation alternatives that make transprotation a breeze. People "commute" into NYC from, literally, all over the neighboring states. You can be from any street in Massachusetts down to any street in DC in just a couple hours.
Seattle has one of the best? I beg to differ! Tacoma has a far better public trasnportation ssytem than Seattle does. With the purposed light rail in Seattle and the monorail extension, King County Metro and Sound Transit STILL leave way too much of the Seattle metropolitan area with little to no feasible commuting options other than getting in your own car to drive yourself to work.
For me to get from Auburn to Fife (a 20 minute drive in traffic) it took me 3 hours when I was paying off my old Honda off after it crapped out two years ago. Getting to the Supermall in Auburn (10 minute drive) took and hour and a half.
Back when I lived in the suburb Renton, it would have taken me almost 4 hours to get from Renton to my old office in Bothell, a 25 minute drive without traffic, 45 minute drive with. That was IF i was commuting during normal hours, but I worked nights at the time.
Any public transportation option that does not exceed an normal commute by double the solo time is not feasible in my book. If there was a public transportation option that took 45 minutes from the time I walked out of my new place in Covington to the time I sat down at my desk in Snoqualmie, I would take it.
Friends of mine that live on Seattle's Capital Hill have even more to gripe about than I do.
2000 Contour SE Sport
Originator of the Beowulf Headlight Mod and the Beowulf CAI
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I've lived on Capital Hill myself, and my fiance still lives there. Right by Swedish. Can't say I've ever had any trouble with the transit system there myself, but I will admit that I've never had to commute there during rush hour traffic.
Seattle remains the only city that I will travel to (and I do every few weeks) and be perfectly happy not renting a car in. While I have done numerous transit studies, I've never done one in Seattle. But, from a personal perspective, I find it to be very intuitive and useful.
I admit that the outlying areas are probably lacking. The mountains make most anything except buses difficult to implement, and the Sounder isn't very popular. I was dissapointed to see the hare-brained monorail idea has taken off for some reason -- money that would be much better spent elsewhere I think.
2003 Mazda6s 3.0L MTX
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Originally posted by sigma:
Quote:
Isn't there already as gas-guzzler tax?
Yes, but it's a tax on cars that get less than 11mpg IIRC
you sure about that? The Cobra I was looking at had a gas-guzzler tax, as did my '03 V8 4Runner, and it averages 17mpg.
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- Zack
WANTED: T-Red HEATED Side Mirrors
FOR SALE: 4 14" Alum Alloys and Nearly New Avid H4s Tires w/ Center Caps
2000 T-Red SVT
1995 LX V6 MTX (RIP)
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Originally posted by Beowulf:
You guys might find this link interesting.
http://ww2.green-trust.org:8383/2000/biofuel/biooils.htm
Very interesting.. but how long is it going to take?!?! I hate paying $2.46 a gallon of regular! (Maui price)
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Originally posted by dbzjr:
Originally posted by Beowulf:
You guys might find this link interesting.
http://ww2.green-trust.org:8383/2000/biofuel/biooils.htm
Very interesting.. but how long is it going to take?!?! I hate paying $2.46 a gallon of regular! (Maui price)
About time someone commented on that.
No clue as to when this will become commercially viable. I have been told by unrealiable sources that some of the big oil companies are looking at using this to supplement regular oil refining.
2000 Contour SE Sport
Originator of the Beowulf Headlight Mod and the Beowulf CAI
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