Driven to Despair - Southern California and transit

[Prince George]

As fuel prices jump, house values fall, the economy wobbles and the election is fast approaching, there's a number of people here in the states that are starting to think that this could be the time that transit makes a return and the balance tilts against sprawl. Here's an episode of the show Now, from PBS -- "Driven to Despair". Admittedly it'd be more exciting if the report was on Fox (that would certainly mean that the tide was turning), but it's got some interesting stuff that gives a good context to what's going on over here.

It starts with a family that moved to what are called the 'ex-urbs', places that are so far out of the urban areas the name 'suburb' doesn't really describe them. The husband's got a 72 mile each-way commute to work, roughly Cape Jervis to Adelaide. Their monthly transportation cost - $1600 dollars (which I presume is the total of all the costs of owning and operating the cars that they need). They bought their house for $250k, now it's worth maybe $200k, so it's even hard now for them to get out of that situation.

Against this backdrop The Governator introduces a bill to reward developments that reduce sprawl, congestion, and greenhouse emissions; Congress passes a $16B bill to fund Amtrak improvements. And this November California votes on a $10B proposition to build a high-speed rail network from San Diego all the way north to Sacramento.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintameric ... eport/103/

[SRW]

Interesting programme, thanks Prince.

The plans for the California railway are actually fairly decent. Here's the website: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/.

[Cruise]

Just a question, is a 72 mile commute considered normal?
Or is that just a one off case pulled out to try and stir debate on public transport?

[monotonehell]

Just a question, is a 72 mile commute considered normal?
Or is that just a one off case pulled out to try and stir debate on public transport?

72mile commute is pretty normal for some people over there. I know people who live n Apple Valley but work somewhere down in Anaheim (and travel to Disneyland regularly!) -- that's something like 100Km. They use their car and cruise up and down the 15, 10 and 57. I think they're mad.

The proposed train line is a big talking point over there, and has been for over two years. Some people even want to run a branch from it and shoot over to Las Vegas. Others think that the route is stupid, going up through the valley to Sacremento (?) and would rather it go up the coast.

They even have gunzels in the States, wonders will never cease.

[AG]

Compared to their counterparts in the south, the northern parts of California around the Bay Area are way ahead in terms of increasing public transport usage. The Caltrain line between San Francisco and San Jose is being electrified and the northern end being expanded underground into the centre of San Francisco. The existing BART metro system is also being expanded.

[monotonehell]

Compared to their counterparts in the south, the northern parts of California around the Bay Area are way ahead in terms of increasing public transport usage. The Caltrain line between San Francisco and San Jose is being electrified and the northern end being expanded underground into the centre of San Francisco. The existing BART metro system is also being expanded.

I love how the BART (or is it the LRT?) just disappears down a hole somewhat parallel to the bay on the Embarcadero on its way to Oakland. It's so freaky standing there watching trains going "underwater".
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?ie=UTF8& ... 4&t=h&z=20

San Francisco is a PT city, while LA is ... well.. they have lots of freeways.