[PLUG] OT License plates and covers.

Jeme A Brelin jeme at brelin.net
Wed Dec 10 19:11:01 UTC 2003


On Wed, 10 Dec 2003, Paul Johnson wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 10, 2003 at 05:32:45PM -0800, Jeme A Brelin wrote:
> > Well, that's why we don't have train tracks criss-crossing our cities.
>
> Actually, we do.  Within 45 minutes walk, I can cross two Portland
> Streetcar lines (Tenth Avenue and Eleventh Avenue), two MAX lines
> (Yamhill Street and Morrison Street), Union Pacific (East Third Avenue),
> Burlington Northern and Santa Fe (Union Station), and Lake Oswego
> Streetcar (North Macadam district).  You just have a better idea where
> these trains and streetcars are going to be

Because they're tracks to not literally criss-cross the city... certainly
not to the extent that the automobile tracks do.

It takes you 45 minutes to walk between less than ten rail lines, whereas
a less than 10 minutes' walk can cross 30 different automobile "tracks".

What you give up in mobility you more than make up in transportation
benefits.  Automobiles restrict mobility massively for very little benefit
to most people in most situations.

> > We give up our right to free mobility to the train tracks because it's
> > a small price to pay for the benefits of mass transit.
>
> If not underused for freight.  Really clueless to use semis to take
> goods between cities served by the railroads, since the railroads will
> get the job done faster and more reliably.

Yes.  Less maintenance, more reliability, etc.  I didn't mean "mass
transit" to only imply human transportation.

J.
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme at brelin.net
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