Italy is much smaller than the US. It’s about the equivalent size of New Mexico - which has 1/30th the population (2M).
Public transit isn’t bad - I told on an Amtrak from LA to SD yesterday which was quite nice.
But, I also rode on the LA metro which was filed with mobs of mentally ill marauders.
My experience to Rome (albeit a bit over a decade ago) was similar. That’s an off putting response that likely plays a big role in sinking demand for public transit - esp. as compared to a car.
Of course, America was also designed for the auto - we’re newer, and gas was cheap during the highway construction heyday.
There are plenty of higher density areas within the US though, where trains would be a good option. Maybe Cyanide Springs, Oklahoma to Blandsville, North Dakota doesn't make sense for trains, but you could do bits of the PNW, California and the east coast with higher quality rail pretty successfully.
Public transit isn’t bad - I told on an Amtrak from LA to SD yesterday which was quite nice.
But, I also rode on the LA metro which was filed with mobs of mentally ill marauders.
My experience to Rome (albeit a bit over a decade ago) was similar. That’s an off putting response that likely plays a big role in sinking demand for public transit - esp. as compared to a car.
Of course, America was also designed for the auto - we’re newer, and gas was cheap during the highway construction heyday.