Redundancy — e.g., simultaneous operation of BART, Bay Bridge, AC Transit transbay services, ferries — is sometimes criticized as wasteful but in times when a lifeline bridge like the Bay Bridge suddenly closes (along with the occasional potentially crippling transit strike) — having backup transportation systems provides incalculable benefits. There was a classic study of … Continue reading »
WHO SAID IT WAS BROKEN?
I think the closure of the Bay Bridge has important implications, but it is not a question of a broken public transit system. Students and I were scheduled to see a construction site at San Francisco International Airport Thursday afternoon, roughly 48 hours after the cables acting as a splint on those steel eyebars had … Continue reading »
Is the question biased?
Should we invest in more “alternatives” to bridges and highways? I like mass transit, but the loss of the bridge points to a lack of redundancy, not to inadequate mass transit. Suppose BART had been shut down. (An accident in the tube? A strike?) Would the question have read, “Should California invest more in alternatives … Continue reading »