Is that more the case in the US which has the worst cost problem than in other parts of the world? It’s not so much that I doubt the theory as that I question if it matters.
GAAAAARGH
WHY DO SUBWAYS COST SO MUCH HERE
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The less cynical answer is because you don’t cut-and-cover any more, and NYC at least has geology that makes boring even more expensive than it is most places.
Also I’d guess that every rapid transit system has a bad case of NIH. Not sure if it’s unique to the US but I imagine it’s a factor when you’ve got all this unnecessarily redundant engineering work going on. And that property taxes are low so local governments don’t actually profit from increased land rents which turns mass transit into a weird PR/charity act rather than something economically beneficial to both the populace and the government.
CollapsedSquid’s link is good (and I’ve read it before). You should read it if you haven’t already.