Man I wish this could be replicated in train construction - Florida is exploring this. One downside however, is you get what the private developer wants - so they're ending up with a train station at Orlando airport instead of downtown Orlando where it should be. Government is uniquely incentivised to do that right because they gain from increasing property values near where the train will go. Unfortunately local developers won't be so nice as to pony up more for that kind of thing even though they will reap disproportionate rewards. Another example - here in Reno, we're trying to build Bus Rapid Transit through a main corridor that is undergoing a pretty great revitalization. People in NV are especially not cool with traditional way for raising taxes for this kind of project (a la 1 cent sales tax just for BRT/streetcar).
It begs to ask, if the developers nearby are going to gain so much, why aren't they building it themselves? Too many groups that won't take risk... I mean probably 1,000 people who own buildings there will benefit disproportionately... you are never going to get them together to pony up for a streetcar. But the proof is there... look at Portland for a US example... also Seattle and SF and San Diego. Its just easier to get the government to do it. They should put a local surcharge on property values. Its only fair. However, they will f- this project up I'm sure... just like NASA spent a kabillion extra dollars just to build certain parts in certain senator's home states... and my other local train is going to have a snack bar so the Sonoma County housewives that will never ride the train can get a snack; instead of more seats and bike space.
Also, when you develop near a train station you can't build parking lots next to it, which tends to make people with cars upset, and they usually have more political influence than people who just use trains:
I'm not sure I understand your argument - trains in Europe and Japan are not private.
We're talking about Elon Musk and looking past the status quo of stuff. The status quo I'm trying to look past is "do everything based on cars, for cars, for the benefit of cars, because cars are the way old people have done it and they're obviously right. Cars. Cars. And more cars."
Trains in Europe aren't private, but the companies that make the trains are. And in fact all the trains in Japan (even the Tokyo subway!) are private.
I very much agree that we ought to get away from promoting cars so much, but lets not kid ourselves. The problem isn't developers, but middle class Americans who like their cars.
Middle class americans might like cars - but our government certainly encouraged them. Perhaps this is what we should stop first, and then parking lots next to train stations may be less of an issue.
If you want to understand why it is hard to get many people who will benefit to pony up, read The Logic of Collective Action.
Basically the problem is that it is a public good. If the good is provided, everyone benefits, not just the ones who paid. So unless your payment is going to make the difference between it happening or not happening, you don't want to pay. And even if someone gets you to pay, you'll be incentivized to pay as little as you can get away with.
I'm not trying to understand it. I'm saying its not going to happen. Government is the only one that can do it, and they might even be able to do it equitably (in theory). The government should tax them because they are benefiting disproportionately more than the rest of the population.
Yes, it is a public good. The public benefits. But if I own condos full of college students and they decide to build a train station for the train that goes to the college in front of it, I'm going to benefit more. And its not that many people - its property owners within a few blocks. We could figure something equitable out.
It begs to ask, if the developers nearby are going to gain so much, why aren't they building it themselves? Too many groups that won't take risk... I mean probably 1,000 people who own buildings there will benefit disproportionately... you are never going to get them together to pony up for a streetcar. But the proof is there... look at Portland for a US example... also Seattle and SF and San Diego. Its just easier to get the government to do it. They should put a local surcharge on property values. Its only fair. However, they will f- this project up I'm sure... just like NASA spent a kabillion extra dollars just to build certain parts in certain senator's home states... and my other local train is going to have a snack bar so the Sonoma County housewives that will never ride the train can get a snack; instead of more seats and bike space.