[bbitmaster]

I disagree with the premise. Happiness with a transportation system does not correlate with the absolute speed you can go. Instead, I think it would correlate with "how many interesting/useful places can I reach with x effort". Most of the regions listed with fast transportation have things spread out much more.

If the grocery store is a mile away, and it takes 5 minutes to drive there it is equivalent to being a couple of blocks away and it taking 5 minutes to walk there. (This assumes walking and driving are equally as easy). Or likewise if I had to commute to work every day by car for 1 hour, it doesn't matter how fast the car moves. I lost 1 hour of my time and that hour is traded for transportation happiness.

I would argue that the faster regions have things spread out so far that it doesn't make up for the faster travel. I lived in both the Southern U.S. and now in San Francisco and I easily see this as being true. Travel by car in the south is MUCH faster than in SF, but it doesn't make up for way things are spread out.

[akgerber]

That is the premise, and you agree with it?

"We have a strong hunch as to why traveling faster might not generate more satisfaction with the transportation system. Faster travel is often correlated with lower density, and longer travel distances to common destinations, such as workplaces, schools and stores."

[wtetzner]

I think the real issue is that it seems pretty obvious that people don't drive fast because it makes them happy to go fast. People drive fast because if they don't, it takes them longer to get where they're going.

Also, there's another reason I think people like to go fast. If you're stuck behind someone that's going slower than you've been going, you feel trapped and frustrated. It seems like this happens even if the person in front of you is only going a few MPH slower than you were.