[alexhutcheson]

Richmond is a great example of the problem. I actually took an Amtrak train to Richmond last weekend, and I was struck by how annoying it is to be there for even a short period of time without a car. I stayed in a hotel downtown that had a couple restaurants within walking distance, but for everything else I ended up taking Ubers. Amenities like gyms, shops, and even pharmacies are spread out enough that almost everyone drives everywhere, even in the neighborhoods within the urban core.

This is probably a major factor that makes Amtrak less preferable than driving even when it’s available - once you get to almost any place in the US, you’d prefer to have your car. Amtrak stations also don’t generally have convenient car rental locations with extended hours like airports do, so that’s not even an option to deal with it.