This is true because public transportaiton is more of a necessity in cities, not in the middle of suburban areas with spread out housing and highways. Often it is just bus systems but when talking about metro/subway it is inner cities.
Free Public Transport Anyone?
- Thread starter VicBee
- Start date
This is true because public transportaiton is more of a necessity in cities, not in the middle of suburban areas with spread out housing and highways. Often it is just bus systems but when talking about metro/subway it is inner cities.
It's not free, it's "fare free" and paid for through other means.
Public transport is fare free for pensioners nationwide in many countries.
Public transport is fare free for pensioners nationwide in many countries.
Last edited:
I think fully tax paid public transport works in Luxembourg and elsewhere in Europe because despite being unionized, the pay scale of public transport workers is much lower than in the US. Lower cost of operation coupled with densely populated urban zones seems to do the trick. Also, public transport is completely integrated in European minds as a means to go from A to B.
It's not cheap to run and maintain ticketing among other costs.
While some is a temporary effect, I'm certain free transport increases mobility and retail spending.
"The decision to temporarily waive public transport fees last year sparked a surge in spending across Sydney’s CBD, prompting calls for the NSW government to introduce more free travel during public holidays and major events.
New data suggests the government’s 12-day fare-free period in April 2022, delivered as an apology amid ongoing industrial action across the city’s train network, resulted in a spike in both trips around Sydney and consumer spending."
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...y-and-boost-cbd-spending-20230214-p5ckei.html
While some is a temporary effect, I'm certain free transport increases mobility and retail spending.
"The decision to temporarily waive public transport fees last year sparked a surge in spending across Sydney’s CBD, prompting calls for the NSW government to introduce more free travel during public holidays and major events.
New data suggests the government’s 12-day fare-free period in April 2022, delivered as an apology amid ongoing industrial action across the city’s train network, resulted in a spike in both trips around Sydney and consumer spending."
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...y-and-boost-cbd-spending-20230214-p5ckei.html
Sadly, public transport in America is heavily politicized, with on one side Republicans against any form of it unless it's entirely private and, on the other side, Democrats looking to increase Dems voting union labor. Why is this not a political issue in Europe? Because they have a diversity of political parties and corresponding labor unions which often disagree with each other. Everyone agrees that more public transport is better, then go on negotiating who gets to run what part of it and how.
It's not unusual in the US for communities to reject public transport on the grounds that it "would bring poor people in to commit crimes". It's the logic of wealthy people wanting to live in a hard to access isolated properties: if you can't reach me, you can't harm me. America is a paranoid nation by design.
It's not unusual in the US for communities to reject public transport on the grounds that it "would bring poor people in to commit crimes". It's the logic of wealthy people wanting to live in a hard to access isolated properties: if you can't reach me, you can't harm me. America is a paranoid nation by design.
explain these mental gymnastics to me.
We don't have free public transportation because it eats at the competition (taxis, uber, airlines, greyhound, car companies). Dems are as cucked as cons when it comes to private industry and taking in bribes (lobbying dollars).
Taxis have democratic support because they are unionized, Uber, Lyft et all. have Republican support because they're not. The air industry is government subsidized and unionized but Republicans like them because they are a big link in to oil and military. Greyhound... Wait, it's still around? The company is not subsidized and always on the verge of bankruptcy. I'm surprised Republicans don't rally behind them.. maybe it's because the people who ride these buses are just too damn poor to care about politics at all.
California has had a decade of political war over the bullet train from SoCal to NorCal. Republicans are adamantly opposed while Dems are heavily in favor. Airlines and car manufacturers are financing/supporting opposition (yes, including Musk), rail unions and California dems are in favor.
My take is that rural California is Republican and a bullet train line would quickly increase urbanization of towns now considered too far to commute from, like Fresno or Bakersfield. Demographically, urban centers generally vote Democrat and the fear from rural Republicans is not only loss of agricultural land, but loss of elections on top of a Democrat voting union labor running the rail line.
Competition among large corporations in American is closely tied to political support and vice versa. Many will support both parties out of an abundance of caution while some go out of their way to show their support for one or the other (like the gun lobby or the union lobbies). It's just how America works, unlike in Europe where the connection is far more subtle. We elect political representatives who then go on to act on behalf of the lobbies who financed their election... No wonder Americans are so cynical about politics in general!
taxi's dying, you're out of touch if you think unions hold sway over corporate interest in the dem party. How did that railroad strike work out for unions? Oh that's right, Biden crushed it. Hypothetically I guess one could make the case that free public transportation would be opposed by unionized labor in industry but this doesn't register in the usual list of asks. I won't even dignify "doing it because their hope is a fair shake in competition" w/an answer.
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?cycle=2022&ind=T1100
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?ind=M04++
https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/contrib.php?ind=M02++
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/uber-technologies/summary?id=D000067336
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lyft-inc/summary?id=D000067782
It's a great idea. Tallinn in Estonia had free transport for residents for about 5+ years now. Although many non-residents used it as well since ticket checking was just an extra cost. Many people only used the car for long distance transport as the public transport was more comfortable - there's aircon, it's relatively clean and no parking headache.
The size comparisons are mostly pointless as you could pick an US city for comparison. Luxembourg is about the size of Detroit city proper area or Little Rock, AR metro area.
The size comparisons are mostly pointless as you could pick an US city for comparison. Luxembourg is about the size of Detroit city proper area or Little Rock, AR metro area.
European cities with free transportation still have ridesharing, taxis, airlines etc. I used both services, taxis/rideshare is for travel to airport or at night when the pub. transport is offline.
Also, how in your brain do buses compete with airlines?