Comment by xhkkffbf
11 hours ago
While I respect the public transit system, it has many disadvantages over private cars. The NYC subway, for instance, is amazing in many ways, but if you're just slightly old or infirm, you can't navigate it. DC's subway, built at a yuge price, does have elevators but they are often broken. And if you're traveling at non-rush hours, you'll have to wait 5-20 minutes and then pause your trip for every stop along the way.
I can see how a young, fit and childless 20 something would be much happier with a good public transport system, but once you stop fitting that narrow model, your affection for urban dreams dies slowly.
And don't get me started on the price for construction and maintenance.
This is why you build transit for everyone. If you look at transit around the world (Japan, Singapore) you'll see transit that the old or infirm happily take. It's possible, you just need to believe that transit CAN be good for everyone! It doesn't and shouldn't be just for the "young and healthy".
All of those places you listed don't tolerate a homeless/mentally unstable on public transport. Thats the only way it can work. No alternative. Strict enforcement of public behavior on them. The left leaning policies in all the big cities, where public transport would benefit most, aren't compatible with this requirement. Ours only recently started gaslighting us into claiming they never supported defunding the police!
I know exactly zero people that use public transport because of safety, specifically homeless/druggies. And yes, we all tried. I was an idiot and went with a kid, for my first and last time, after listening to a local, with mental blinders on.
I think you're confusing well funded healthcare with intolerance.
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As the announcement reminds us, NYC’s system has “over 150 accessible subway stations.” While there’s certainly room for improvement, I wouldn’t underrate the rest of the MTA system: the busses are all accessible and cover the same geography.
More to the point, there’s a parallel system that came out of the same lawsuit that found the subway system illegally inaccessible to people with mobility needs. Those people can use MTA-funded “Access-a-ride” service, which offers private, scheduled door-to-door transportation for the price of a subway ride. It’s a really expensive way to do it, but a remarkable lifeline for the people I know who, for example, need occasional transportation to and from medical appointments.
That’s 150 out of 472 for those curious— thanks for sharing details about access-a-ride, honestly seems like the right solution, at least until 2055 when supposedly 95% will be accessible.
You should watch more NotJustBikes videos.