US Mass Transit Rip Off

[Thailandnotes]

Perhaps the most ostentatious violation of Melis’s manual of best practices is expensive architecture in stations. “Design should be focused on the needs of the users,” he wrote, “rather than on architectural beauty or exotic materials, and never on the name of the architect.”

American politicians have different priorities. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is spending $3.8 billion on a single subway station at the World Trade Center designed by Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect known for his costly projects. If New York could build subways at the prices that Paris and Tokyo pay, $3.8 billion would be enough to build the entire Second Avenue subway, from Harlem to the Financial District.
Spain’s Model

Melis also warned against “consultants who consultant with consultants and advisers who advise advisers,” something American planners would do well to learn. He said he didn’t hire any “large firm of consulting engineers” as general project managers for his Metro de Madrid expansions, and that designers weren’t allowed to interfere with, or bid for, their own construction contracts.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...sit-costs.html

[Slimprofits]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

Melis also warned against “consultants who consultant with consultants and advisers who advise advisers,” something American planners would do well to learn. He said he didn’t hire any “large firm of consulting engineers” as general project managers for his Metro de Madrid expansions, and that designers weren’t allowed to interfere with, or bid for, their own construction contracts.

Not so in the U.S. Parsons Brinckerhoff, perhaps the biggest name in the nation’s transit construction industry, is both the lead-design contractor and project manager for California’s planned high-speed rail line, and the company stands a good chance of winning construction contracts for its own designs.

As if that conflict of interest wasn’t bad enough, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s new CEO, Jeff Morales, arrived at the agency after a stint as senior vice present at Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he worked on the authority’s business plan.

That is USA 2012 in a nutshell.

[gwynedd1]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

That is USA 2012 in a nutshell.

Especially if its refusing a bag of peanuts for a macadamia nut.

[doom&gloom]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

Perhaps the most ostentatious violation of Melis’s manual of best practices is expensive architecture in stations. “Design should be focused on the needs of the users,” he wrote, “rather than on architectural beauty or exotic materials, and never on the name of the architect.”

American politicians have different priorities. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is spending $3.8 billion on a single subway station at the World Trade Center designed by Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish architect known for his costly projects. If New York could build subways at the prices that Paris and Tokyo pay, $3.8 billion would be enough to build the entire Second Avenue subway, from Harlem to the Financial District.
Spain’s Model

Melis also warned against “consultants who consultant with consultants and advisers who advise advisers,” something American planners would do well to learn. He said he didn’t hire any “large firm of consulting engineers” as general project managers for his Metro de Madrid expansions, and that designers weren’t allowed to interfere with, or bid for, their own construction contracts.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...sit-costs.html

Really, what's the big deal. Bernanke can always print more...

[shiny!]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

Melis also warned against “consultants who consultant with consultants and advisers who advise advisers,” something American planners would do well to learn. He said he didn’t hire any “large firm of consulting engineers” as general project managers for his Metro de Madrid expansions, and that designers weren’t allowed to interfere with, or bid for, their own construction contracts.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...sit-costs.html

There seems to be an epidemic in politics on every level to hire consultants instead of looking at the obvious. Example:

When I lived in Albuquerque a dozen years ago, the bus system was terrible. Busses came only once an hour. If the bus missed it's stop for some reason, you had to wait two hours. The busses stopped running at 5 PM, so no working late.

The City Council wanted to know why more people didn't ride the busses so they hired a consulting firm to study the problem. Paid them about $100,000. All members of Council had to do was vow to use only bus transportation for one month. They wouldn't have been able to attend their own City Council meeting.

[charliebrown]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

Same thing here. My city council just hired a consulting firm to figure out how to outsource the police department.
And you know what the conclusion was ...
Yes you can save a few bucks today, but future costs are unknown and out of your control, and you will not get as good of service.
Like no dah. I need to start a consulting firm.

BTW, I used to take the bus to work whenever gas went north of $4.00. Now it is $4.25 but my bus stop was cancelled and the bus re-routed. I would now have to go 3 miles to get to the next closest stop. Not worth my time, as my commute is only 12 miles.

[gwynedd1]

Re: US Mass Transit Rip Off

Really, what's the big deal. Bernanke can always print more...

All the cord wood he has left is soaking wet.