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Re: Article: Los Angeles-area transportation firms on cutting edge of Southern California’s tech-transit cluster
Author: Margaret (SP fan)
Date: 04-19-2017 - 21:26
HOWARD Wrote:
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> Rail is on metal fixed rail systems that are
> expensive to maintain. Vehicles are on
> rubber-wheels that are more mobile. It is like a
> cellphone verses a hardwire phone.
Actually, rail systems are expensive to build; the
maintenance is not that much in comparison. And, no,
rubber-tired vehicles are not more "mobile". I think
you meant that rubber-tired vehicles can easily change
their routes. That is fact, but it is also a fact that
installing light-rail systems means that the civic leaders
are really committed to long-term support of the businesses
in the area served by those LRVs.
Changing a bus route is so easy that no one in power has to
commit themselves to long-term support of any businesses
or organizations on those bus routes.
Our whole society has been sold a load of snake oil by the
high-technology giants, who have convinced most people that
new is always better. It is not. And, worse still, too
many people have gotten to the point where all they will
support is "shiny-new" stuff, no matter how unneeded that
"shiny-new" stuff is. Too many people refuse to support
essential infrastructure repairs because those repairs are
"too expensive" and messy, and are not the "shiny-new"
things they have been programmed to entusiastically support.
That, to me, is very sad, and reflects the infantilization
of our whole society.
There are many times when old, tried-and-true things and
methods are the best. But this silly blind worship of high
technology has gotten in the way of doing what is really needed.
About electric cars: Pray tell, exactly where will all
those cars park? High-tech electric cars do absolutely
nothing at all to lessen traffic jams -- they make those
worse, by diverting monies that should be spent on mass
transit to the high-tech industry.
And where, exactly, will they get all the rubber needed for
all those tires? And why should individuals have to pay for
all those cars, instead of for mass transit?
Yup -- the powerful oil and gas and auto lobby is definitely
in the driver's seat on this issue.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rail is on metal fixed rail systems that are
> expensive to maintain. Vehicles are on
> rubber-wheels that are more mobile. It is like a
> cellphone verses a hardwire phone.
Actually, rail systems are expensive to build; the
maintenance is not that much in comparison. And, no,
rubber-tired vehicles are not more "mobile". I think
you meant that rubber-tired vehicles can easily change
their routes. That is fact, but it is also a fact that
installing light-rail systems means that the civic leaders
are really committed to long-term support of the businesses
in the area served by those LRVs.
Changing a bus route is so easy that no one in power has to
commit themselves to long-term support of any businesses
or organizations on those bus routes.
Our whole society has been sold a load of snake oil by the
high-technology giants, who have convinced most people that
new is always better. It is not. And, worse still, too
many people have gotten to the point where all they will
support is "shiny-new" stuff, no matter how unneeded that
"shiny-new" stuff is. Too many people refuse to support
essential infrastructure repairs because those repairs are
"too expensive" and messy, and are not the "shiny-new"
things they have been programmed to entusiastically support.
That, to me, is very sad, and reflects the infantilization
of our whole society.
There are many times when old, tried-and-true things and
methods are the best. But this silly blind worship of high
technology has gotten in the way of doing what is really needed.
About electric cars: Pray tell, exactly where will all
those cars park? High-tech electric cars do absolutely
nothing at all to lessen traffic jams -- they make those
worse, by diverting monies that should be spent on mass
transit to the high-tech industry.
And where, exactly, will they get all the rubber needed for
all those tires? And why should individuals have to pay for
all those cars, instead of for mass transit?
Yup -- the powerful oil and gas and auto lobby is definitely
in the driver's seat on this issue.
