[TriLUG] [OT] TriLUGger on the news

[Magnus]

Glenn Hennessee wrote:
>  If we spent on mass transit at the same
> level that we do on roads and airports we would have a mass transit 
> system that would be better than any other in the world. 

The geology of North Carolina probably precludes it from having a mass 
transit system on par with the major cities of the world REGARDLESS of 
how much is spent.  Ever notice almost none of the homes around here 
have basements?  It's one of the first things us relocated yankees tend 
to notice when shopping for a house in the Triangle.

Having a world class mass transit system depends on having a subway 
running through the city itself.  Our cities don't have very dense urban 
centers.  We get a few buildings taller than four stories clumped 
together but the rest is just sprawl.

Early city planners completely failed.  The City Council in Durham 
actually made things worse, not better, throughout the 3 decades 
following WW2 as they tore down historic buildings and went from dense 
pedestrian-friendly urban streetscapes to having open plazas and parking 
lots all over.  They also eliminated their streetcar system many years ago.

As bad as our sprawl is, light rail was probably our best hope for a 
mass transit backbone.  We will see Duke Nukem Forever before we see 
regional rail here.