Luca Pietro0:00 I'm driving around and I've been thinking about it a lot.0:03 What is the biggest flaw with the transportation system in Atlanta and Los Angeles and New York?0:10 Major cities around the U.S.0:12 uh I know it varies a lot.0:13 Um, for example, New York has a very robust subway system, and Atlanta we have Marta, but it kind of doesn't work the same.0:21 And compared to our European counterparts that have a pretty seamless uh transportation rail system throughout connecting the entire EU.0:29 Um, I feel like the United States is lagging behind them in that aspect.0:34 And was just wondering what do y'all think?0:36 Do y'all think that the United States could better boost their domestic transportation infrastructure?0:41 Or is that something that because of our robust highway system that we're just gonna use that to our advantage?0:47 Personally, I think that we need to adopt a better intercontinental railroad system that connects the entire US the same way that uh the Eurostar and the different railways in uh in Europe connect the entire uh continent together.1:02 So I don't know, that's my take on it, but let me know what you think.
Thomas Freer0:00 Yeah, those are some great points, Luca, but I really think what it comes down to is just the difference in priorities in our country versus the EU.0:12 And especially the US is so spread out.0:15 As you move west in the country, uh major cities are not very close together, so they wouldn't get the same benefits of a rail system, or it'd be way way more expensive to build them there.0:29 But it really comes down to is I think the United States chooses to prioritize our things like defense budget over public transportation or other public goods.0:43 And I think that we'd really have to have a a large shift in our beliefs if we wanted to successfully implement uh great rail systems nationally.0:56 I think what Europe has is great.0:58 It just it just would take a ton of investment on our end and um a big political shift.1:06 And I think if you really look towards where some change could happen, it could happen locally in cities like you mentioned: Atlanta, Los Angeles, struggling.1:15 Uh while New York does have a a good subway system, uh Marta is just horrible honestly and not very useful, and I think they need to just scrap the entire thing and restart.
Om Patel0:00 Hey Luca, you make some really good points about the traffic and the um transportation, not traffic, I'm sorry, the transportation systems when it comes to the United States of America compared to other places and countries like Europe.0:10 Um I would say the biggest issue that I have personally with the transportation system right now is the sentiment that people have towards public transportation.0:19 And I think that sentiment is that people think public transportation is gonna be a bigger hassle, especially if you're living in cities like Atlanta where the MARA system isn't as robust as in subway systems in New York.0:30 I think people look at it as a hassle.0:32 So I think making the switch to where people are more likely and not seeing it as an inconvenience of using public transportation, that's where we really need to focus on.0:43 Um and that just comes with more putting in more money into the infrastructure, making the process a lot more seamless, you know, people not wasting 15-10 minutes going to the station, getting a ticket, and then 15-10 minutes going to wherever they need to go to once they get there.0:54 Like, I mean I think it needs to be um something that needs to be improved so that people's sentiment can change.1:01 And then from there I think we'll start to see some changes, you know, because traffic right now, even in Atlanta, um it's insane.1:09 You know, the difference of leaving between 4:30 and 4 o'clock can add an hour to commute, and I'm not even exaggerating.1:16 So I think that the more money we put into the infrastructure of the transportation systems and the way we switch people's sentiment about using public transportation, I think that's gonna help solve a lot of the issues that we're seeing today.
Wesley Joyce0:00 I think Freer and Om bring up really important points.0:02 Um Thomas obviously talking about you know how we spend so much money on defense and a lot of foreign aid and things like that, and we are a global superpower, and you know, in order to maintain that status, um, you do need that level of spending on certain items.0:17 Um, and um makes a great point too that you know if if we want um if we want it to get better, we do have to continue to invest in it.0:26 But one thing um I've always thought that was unique to this scenario that um I've talked about with my dad pretty extensively, is America is kind of founded on the idea of the you know the government doesn't have too much control.0:41 You know, we kind of do we do our own thing.0:44 And um the thing that in Europe it works so well because they they the EU and the governments they own the rail systems.0:53 And here in America, it's not the same.0:55 Um, you don't have government ownership over railroads, um, which is why so many monopolies were created around the railroads.1:02 And it's kind of the same issue today is if we do um say we built a high-speed rail, um, who owns the rail?1:10 If the government does it, um, you know, we've seen government efficiencies um use resources poorly.1:18 And you know, it's it's one of those things where like, yeah, it'd be a great idea to do, but you know, there's a reason we have so many mom and pop truck shops that haul stuff around the country.1:29 It's so people can look after themselves.1:31 And um, you know, like when if Amazon cut a deal with the whatever company owned the railroad, Amazon's stuff would get delivered first.1:40 You know, if you had no money, couldn't pay for um that treatment, it wouldn't be the same.1:46 So it would be hard to make rails equitable in America just based on how we work um in such a free market.1:53 Um it's a lot to ask, and not to mention it would take a lot of infrastructure that we don't already have in place, but yeah, that's kind of what I think.
Vansh Patel0:00 Luca, I think you bring up an excellent point about how the American infrastructures uh regarding transportation far lacks uh when compared to European counterparts.0:12 I think when you take a look at uh our major cities such as Atlanta, uh New York, LA, like you mentioned, we just don't have as much of a walkable environment as some of these European cities have.0:26 Uh I think it mostly correlates with Atlanta.0:30 We uh the addition of the belt line uh is a transition to a walkable city for us.0:36 But as of now, we typically only have the uh MARTA system and uh a car dependent highway system.0:46 Uh I think most European cities have taken advantage of the walk or the walkable cities.0:52 Uh yeah.0:53 I think it does good for the health of the populations, but I think it also benefits just transportation, the rail system.1:02 Uh how pretty much the entire Europe is connected through these rails and then the cities are walkable dependent.1:09 I think it boosts the happiness and quality of life of its members and I think it's something the US really needs to needs to add.1:17 Uh I think we just have so much more space and land than Europe in general that we really had no choice but to expand uh with our highways and our roads.1:30 I think car dependency is necessary in America the way we set it up.1:35 But I think a lot of cities are transitioning to uh that European style.1:41 I think the belt line is an example of the US really trying to make uh to make us feel like a community uh with each city uh having housing, entertainment, food, necessities all in one place uh that's walkable.1:58 I think it's really beneficial to its members and I hope to see more of it throughout the US.