On the Economics of Mass Transit and the Value of Common Sense

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight thinks about what we ought to measure when comparing public transportation options.  Does Modesto, CA really have better public transit than New York City?  There are a lot of measurable quantities, but only some of them are interesting.  In particular, it’s not the absolute convenience of public transit that matters — rather, it’s transit’s relative convenience compared to driving alone that determines how people get around.

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Zane Selvans

A former space explorer, now marooned on a beautiful, dying world.

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