AH Challenge: Public Transit to the Max!

I was sitting on the bus, stuck in traffic, and was musing about how much I, and many others, loathe gridlock. So now I'm wondering: is there any way, with a POD of no earlier than 1850 AD, that public transit would become the norm in North American cities, with cars still existing, but not used so much in general?
 
Hm, perhaps some sort of fuel crisis at some time (Perhaps something happens to the wells?) would result in more people riding the bus, and eventually, after fuel prices drop down, people just continue using public transportation?
 
Yes, higher fuel prices would have to be one reason. No population boom after WW2 leading to the rise of suburbs would be another. However, when you talk about public transit, you need to think of the rest of the country. The NE corridor benefits a great deal from public transit, since we are talking about cities and towns that are very close together. Public transit doesn't work very well for much of the rest of the US due to the distances involved. It wouldbe hard to have public transit between such places as Atlanta nad Augusta GA, or Augusta GA and Columbia SC or Columbia SC and Charelston SC. However, its not hard to have some large public transit between NYC and Boston.

Torqumada
 
Torqumada said:
Yes, higher fuel prices would have to be one reason. No population boom after WW2 leading to the rise of suburbs would be another. However, when you talk about public transit, you need to think of the rest of the country. The NE corridor benefits a great deal from public transit, since we are talking about cities and towns that are very close together. Public transit doesn't work very well for much of the rest of the US due to the distances involved. It wouldbe hard to have public transit between such places as Atlanta nad Augusta GA, or Augusta GA and Columbia SC or Columbia SC and Charelston SC. However, its not hard to have some large public transit between NYC and Boston.

I know. I figure cars will still be necessary for those who live in rural areas. For larger transits, maybe a rental car system might work.
 
The distances are not a problem if the right means of transport is in place.

First of all, with the US speed limit of 55 mph (and even the 70 mph, or is it 75 mph), on the best freeways, large distances take a long time by car or by bus, and the difference between buses and cars does not matter much in way of speed.

Of course, I agree that with large suburbs in place, the question is how to design a working public transit system. However, consider a combination of high speed trains (like Shinkansen, ICE and TGV) for long distance travel, plus a sufficient number of subways, regional trains, etc. for short-to-medium-distance travel. Smaller cities and remote areas would have to be connected by bus.

As for the POD you definitely need something to happen to US gas prices. So make the oil crisis far worse by establishing some very fundamentalist anti-Western governments in Saudi-Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. Then have the US government introduce a fuel tax similar to that in Germany, say, because fuel reserves are low and this precious commodity must be conserved. Maybe even introduce fuel rationing.
 
My feeling from visits is the big problem is walking to where Public transport might be.

It was VERY uncomfortable (and unsafe) walking half a mile in Atlanta because there did not seem to be many proper sidewalks
 
How about this one: have North America comprised of a dozen or more countries, so that it becomes more difficult to cross the continent (customs, border crossings etc.) Perhaps with these constraints it could be more like Europe with regard to transport...
 
Top