[bluGill]

There are a lot of regulations that are more harmful than helpful. How many transit projects don't get seriously proposed because the cost of looking for endangered species (in a city that is already not conducive to wildlife) makes the costs too high - resulting in everybody driving at much higher environmental cost but not study needed for that.

I don't have answers, but the problem is real.

[acollins1331]

ESA section 7 assessments are insanely cheap, especially in cities. Maybe hire a different consulting firm. We would walk up and down the road, if it was completely urban and there is no habitat for the species you literally don't even need to look. The people who do the checking get paid about $20/hr. Sounds like someone is lying to you about why projects aren't being funded.

[earthboundkid]

American transit costs are very high by international standards. People like to blame EIS or regulations or unions, but Europe has all of those things too and is much cheaper than the US. We just suck:

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/01/why-its-so-ex...

[bluGill]

I agree fully. The regulation I pointed out was one example, of why things go wrong, but there is something more that I don't know going on.