I mean, does the population density in the US support bullet trains? I know that both Japan & China for example have large population density within each city (whether you live in Osaka heading for Kobe or from Shanghai to Beijing, you get the picture) plus the governments of both countries invest heavily on the infrastructure including maintenance.
Distance is another factor between destinations, like from Nagoya to Kyoto it’s only 130km (80mi) and the commute by bullet train is 33 minutes while from New York to DC it’s 226mi taking you 4 hours by car but via bullet train, the commute time is less than it would be from driving alone. The cities in Japan are closer to each other by comparison.
China is a large country (not big as let’s say like Russia in terms of land size) alongside varying topography and climates (they can still install tracks in uneven terrain but adjusting how they are installed), although their population is larger than the US (they have about more than 1.4 billion people as a country while the US is about 348 million).
The taxes work differently across countries, like in both Japan & China: they have the funds gathered from taxation allowing them to maintain constant upkeep or make further improvements. Well, what does the US government spend their taxes on? That in itself also lies the question whether the taxes citizens are already paying are worth it.
Taxes exist in all countries regardless, as governments need funding to maintain and improve infrastructure, roads, schools, hospitals, etc. The real question is: how is the government using that money? For example, in Japan the reason why public transport is considered reliable is due to their government using people’s taxes for upkeep & bullet trains.
2/3rds of all Bullet trains are in China. Why are you just asking about the US?
The US does have “high speed’ rail. We call it Acela and it is just such bullshit. The Acela trains aren’t any significantly faster than regular trains.
I routinely take the train from Washington DC to New York City and the Acela train just isn’t worth the cost and hassle. It is 20 minutes faster.
Americans are weird about public transportation. Trains and busses and my go to for any sort of travel. I love the DC metro and I hate highway driving, though I have to drive more on the highway than I want.
People are posting about the auto industry lobby and I agree with that, but we Americans are strange about public transportation.
that’s because trains making you weak and gay.
big car make you strong and dominant.
/eyeroll
roll your eyes all you want. it’s the dominant belief in american culture.
my dad lived walking distance to a train station and commuted by car for 10 years, because the train would make him gay. and he was a MAN so he drove his large SUV 120 miles a day.
Everywhere I went in America seemed like lots of men liked trains. Some even had them in the basement as a hobby. Some men worked on the real ones
I don’t remeber any of the older men thinking it would make them gay to ride the train.
I got the distinct impression young and old alike that riding public transportation was for the poors though. Also somehow public transportation was against their “freedom”.
But never once gay.
/eyeroll