[PRCo] Re: pat__service__cuts__2007.01.23-changed to 2/1/07

[Fred Schneider]

But a lot of what was empty in Lancaster County is filling up.   The  
southern end, which was empty, is now very attractive to the people  
in the outer suburbs of Philadelphia because it is close to US route  
1 and I-95.   And Swindler's area in northeastern Lancaster County,  
which was fairly empty, is now filling up fast as hell, because you  
can get to King of Prussia faster over the Turnpike from here than  
you can drive out the Schuylkill Expressway from Center City  
Philadelphia in the rush hour.   That is why Lancaster County has  
gone from 320,007 in 1970 to 500,000 people today.   John is correct;  
that's why I like the Northern Peninsula of Michigan and Montana  
these days.

On Feb 5, 2007, at 12:32 PM, John Swindler wrote:

> Hi Fred
>
> U.S. has a lot of empty space, and Lancaster Co. is not part of it  
> (empty
> space part).  Suspect that is why you have made some favorable  
> comments
> about Montana (?)
>
> Never thought about it until several years ago, but when it comes to
> intercity travel in US there seems to be two countries:  northeast  
> US east
> of Appalachian Mtn. and north of DC, and then there is rest of US.   
> In this
> area, we can show visitors several cities - almost like western  
> Europe.  But
> further west/south you go, it could be a day-trip just to get to  
> nearest
> city.  It's just a perception, but distances really seem to spread  
> out once
> south of DC. (gosh, I've been traveling .... forever ..... when  
> will we ever
> get to .....)
>
> Suspect reflections on retirement and where to retire had a lot to  
> do with
> observing this perceived diffeence.  And I don't like the options.
>
> John
>
>
>
>> From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
>> Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: pat__service__cuts__2007.01.23-changed to 2/1/07
>> Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 11:52:35 -0500
>>
>> Germany has 232 people per square kilometer, we have 31.   Sorry if
>> you don't like the idea of kilometers but the rest of the world
>> does.   Even Canada uses them these days.   (Roughly one square
>> kilometer = .39 square miles so it would be 90 people per square mile
>> in Germany versus 12 in the U. S. if anyone needs it that way.)
>> The point I was making initially was that they have a lot more people
>> in the same space as we do and that they don't need to drive as far
>> to go see friends ... and this proves it.   They have 7.5 times more
>> people in the same space as we do.   That makes it a lot easier to
>> get their people to use public transport to go to work than it does
>> to force our people into a bus or tram or subway car or railroad
>> car.   It also makes it much more cost effective to run a transit
>> vehicle when you can fill it up than when you have 9 people in it ...
>> even if you do subsidize it, the subsidies can be much lower per  
>> user.
>>
>> And Germany isn't the only country with a high population density.
>> The United Kingdom has 246.    Italy has 193.    Switzerland, in
>> spite of all the mountains, has 176 people per square kilometer.
>> Czech Republic (Boris Cefer's home) has 130.    France has 110.
>> Austria has 98.   Maybe that gives you some clue why I've spent so
>> much time chasing trolleys in Europe.   They have them.
>>
>> India has 336.   Oh yes and Puerto Rico, which they list separately
>> from the U. S. (in spite of U. S. Post Office trucks running all over
>> the island, has 436 people per square kilometer.
>>
>> But why waste your time.   Click on the link below, then you can
>> clock each country for more information.   You can spend hours
>> looking at information and have a real geography lesson.
>>
>>
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density
>>
>> On Feb 5, 2007, at 11:06 AM, John Swindler wrote:
>>
>>> What's the population density of Germany vs. U.S., Fred?  What  
>>> part of
>>> Germany compares to spread out nature of our mid-west?
>>
>>
>
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