Brent ToderianDec 4, 2022

If walking costs you $1, we all pay $0.01. If biking costs you $1, we all pay $0.08. If bussing costs you $1, we all pay $1.50. If driving costs you $1, we all pay $9.20. Via @thediscourse study.

This isn’t just about choice. It’s about who pays for your choice.

#citymakingmath #walking #bikes #cities #publictransit #transportatio #economics #urbanism #cityplanning #mobility

Show threadkechpaja

@BrentToderian This reads like a political statement written for a general audience, but as someone who is decidedly not a transit expert, I can't make heads or tails of it. What do those numbers actually _mean_?

(Or is it really meant mainly for people with lots of background knowledge?)

Dec 4, 2022 at 1:42pmWeb
Show threadAlonDec 4, 2022
@kechpaja @BrentToderian It's meant for people in the US who complain that public transportation is heavily subsidized. Part of the issue is that big-city US transit is inefficient (the New York City Subway would be operationally breaking even at Berlin U-Bahn unit operating costs), but a much bigger part is that "US public transit" lumps in New York (or Boston, or Chicago, etc.) with disaster zones like Houston where the operating cost is $6 per single-leg bus trip ($12 if you transfer).