Fuck Cars

It doesn't need to go high speed, I was in a train a few years ago and the conductor on the loud speaker said "if you look on your left, you will be happy to be in a train and not stuck in a traffic jam." Everyone looked and the highway was completely stuck. Really Really long traffic jam. Everyone started giggling.

This is the case in Germany, and it's glorious. The fastest people on the Autobahn drive around 200 km/h, whereas the trains sometimes travel at 320 km/h. Always fun to see the slow cars!

That works. The local L trains running along side the highway in Chicago got me, seeing 5 trains roll by while barley moving in bumper to bumper gave me the final push to covert to public transit

This is what infuriates me on every interstate freeway drive is that Eisenhower didn't just lay tracks along the median of every intestate. If we had done it then, we'd have an entire network for the most heavily utilized corridors with natural station locations.

It isn't even about being stuck in traffic, it's also about the mind-numbing expanse that would be much more enjoyable if I didn't have to pay attention.

Frankfurt - Cologne: about twice as fast by train then by car.

Let me present: the new constructed high speed rail line Wendlingen-Ulm, next to Autobahn 8.

Also, in the US this could help bypass land-use issues. If you use the right-of-way the interstate highways already have, you don’t need to have a legal fight over building on privately held land.

There actually was a transportation agency that had an ad campaign oriented around this idea. Basically people in the cars saw the train going by so fast and felt jealous because they were stuck in their cars.

Anyone remember what agency put this on?

They did this where I am from, but the high speed trains cost way too much yo be worth it and they never travel at their full speed and are about the same speed as a car.

You also HAVE to drive to the train station. And by the time you wait for the train and pay for parking, you might as well just drive into the city.

In fact, it hardly saves time or money and often ends up being about the same cost and time.

Also the last train leaves the city shortly after the work day ends. So if you work late or get held up, then you are not going home or paying a crap ton for a Uber home.

It’s just fucked and I hate that it is that way.

In Illinois, there is an Amtrak line from Chicago to St Louis that isn't high speed, but it is "higher speed." It has stretches that it goes 110mph. Not hugely fast, but much faster than the 65-70mph speed limit on the interstate, it is alongside much of the way. I've rode it once, and it was cool to look out the window and watch as we passed by cars with ease. I've only had a taste, and it makes me want more.

Joke's on you, I have a humiliation kink

You can experience this in multiple parts of Los Angeles. Don't tell anyone. It's fucking glorious.

Public transportation in the US is abysmal.

Visualisation.

In California, any time I have seen an Amtrack train going the same direction as me on the freeway, I was passing it, never the other way around.