Why America can’t build quickly anymore
Having lived in Shanghai during 2005-2012 and seeing the construction boom there, I noticed some differences immediately after arriving in the US. It&#x27;s common to hear about transportation projects taking decades to expand a few stations here. Mean while, since the time I left the Shanghai subway station has opened 21 new lines composed of 516 stations.<p>Certainly, the air&#x2F;water was worse in China but workers also had to work much harder (later nights, weekends, etc). But perhaps most importantly, the government would waste no time in getting land that it needed, and it certainly wouldn&#x27;t ask for your consideration if it needs to do construction on a Saturday morning.<p>While I appreciate that there is an inherent trade off between environmental consideration and speed, I think the author makes it clear that it&#x27;s reached comic proportions in the US. The article is short, but I think the main premise is overwhelmingly accurate: The system exists to protect the status quo.<p>There&#x27;s also the reliance of transportation agencies on consultants:
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