[testudovictoria]

Is it really outrageous to ask for some of the crumbling infrastructure around us to be updated or better maintained? Granted the OP comment said _first_ when it's not really an either/or situation. It's not like we need billions in R&D to apply what's been solved in dozens of other metros across the world.

[JumpCrisscross]

> outrageous to ask for some of the crumbling infrastructure around us to be updated or better maintained

The top reaction on this thread almost refutes itself. Were this a story about autonomous rovers being ordered, I doubt anyone would blink an eye. But because it’s about even studying trains, we have complaints about cost.

> not like we need billions in R&D

But it does cost us billions more to do with trains what our peers have done.

[colechristensen]

One, again they’re separate topics.

Two, we passed a billion dollar infrastructure bill for exactly this a couple of years ago. Were you aware of this? What more do you want?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684

Discussing things like this on HN too often consists of people arguing based on what they assume is true without knowing what they want already exists.

[cinntaile]

They're two completely unrelated topics. Rail infrastructure in the US has nothing to do with rail infrastructure on the moon. Yes, they use vehicles on rails in both cases. That's where the similarities end.