to ease traffic congestion. They want to build a tunnel right in the middle of earthquake country. What is wrong with this picture? I guess it's a really quick way of reducing the number of cars using the highways. Seems a bit drastic.

 

The BART (train) tunnel going under San Francisco Bay (only few miles from Hayward fault) is about 50-years old and holding very well. Didn't suffer any damage during Loma Pieta 8.9 quake.
Forgot to add, that Bay Bridge collapsed in one section during the quake.

 

they are going to do the same in Istanbul, they are planning to build the third new bridge as an underground tunnel in an earthquake zone.

 

They built a subway in LA also to reduce conjestion. Billions of dollars wasted as usual. It would be better to promote telecommutignfor those howhave the opportunity and give tax incentives to participants.

 

It is complicated process.
In US mass transit tickets cost more, than gas for the car, so almost everybody wants to drive.
Bay Area Rapid Transit lately extended the tracks down to the airport. Put some limousine busies out of business.
With present gasoline prices -mas transit, where you can take a nap, or read newspaper looks better and better.

 

The ACTUAL cost per ride on most transit systems is paid through taxation. In Portland , OR the MAX rail system costs about $22 per ride to use and is priced to the consumer at $1. 05. Mass transit never pays for itself and has little benefit to people like me.

 

My last employer paid for 100% of my mass transit costs. I still had to drive about 25 miles to get to the nearest rail station. I took the train only to avoid the traffic congestion as I would near downtown.

 

That's because mass transits are run by government.
Give them to private company and the cost will drop by 75%.

 

are you implying the the federal and state gov'ts arent efficient?

for once, we agree on something.

 

I don't think a private company could make a profit. The ride that BikerDrew used as an example would cost $22.00 plus a profit instead of $1.05. You think ridership is low now, no one at all would ride it if they had to pay over $44 per day to get to work or school. The private company would be out of business soon after asking for profit making fares. Mass transit in all cities is subsidized.