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This was a revelation. For just over $6,000 a year, the Swiss can travel anywhere, reliably, in comfort, and get where they’re going on time. (In neighbouring Austria, where the cost of living isn’t so high, the equivalent national rail pass costs just €1,100 – or $1,600.) In Canada and the United States, the average cost of car ownership – including payments, parking tickets, insurance, parking, and gas – is more than $12,000 a year. That’s a high price to pay for a system that delivers congestion, traffic deaths and injuries, air pollution – and, more often than not, gets us to work or school late. For half the price North Americans pay, the Swiss get reliable, anywhere-to-anywhere mobility.

  • VeganCheesecake@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    8·
    29 days ago

    In Germany, it’s currently 696€ a year to use all local and regional public transport (metro, bus, regional train, etc.) nationally, 4899€ a year to also use all long distance public transport (IC, ICE).

    Unless you travel around the country a lot, the first plus a long distance discount card is usually enough to get around.

    Still, there has been too little investment into public transport for decades, and the 696€ Ticket is partially funded by the federal government, so let’s see whether that lasts past the next election. All in all, could be better, but could also be a lot worse.

  • Majorllama@lemmy.worldEnglish
    104·
    29 days ago

    The secret is having a over a third of your country living within a few kilometers of your largest city and more than half the country live within a few kilometers of the capitol and largest city.

    It is nearly the exact same size as Virginia and shares almost exactly the same population. They just have the majority of their citizens living in or around two cities that aren’t that far from each other (hour and half drive or less than an hour by train between the two cities).

    • flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      182·
      29 days ago

      So what you’re saying is that Virginia could have public transport on the level of Switzerland. I imagine it would even be cheaper since Virginia is much less mountainous.

      Edit: even economically they are not radically different
      Virginia: GDP $759.2B, per capita $86,747
      Switzerland: GDP $942.2B, per capita $106,097

      • Majorllama@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        29 days ago

        Yeah but you would have to convince Virginians to live closer to one place instead of being scattered to the wind across their state lol.

  • porous_grey_matter@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    29 days ago

    Uh, the GA transport pass is more like $3900, if you pay per year, not 6k. And a lot of people get discounts from their jobs or other things.

  • _cryptagion @lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    27 days ago

    Not having politicians that take bribes from the auto industry helps. Well, Americans take bribes from every industry, but the auto industry is behind the pushback against public transit.