[novok]

The key issue with buses and trains in traffic is they're slower than a car, so people don't want to use it because it's a shittier experience. When you grade separate they become independent of traffic and thus better than driving so people end up using it more.

Cars vs. transit is a pure throughput issue. You will never, even with 14 lane highways, beat one grade separated transit line with how many people you can move per hour. Eventually you run out of land with roads and cars, with trains you effectively do not.

[andrewxdiamond]

I absolutely agree, buses are only ideal in two cases:

- Short, local travel where large scale transport services don’t make sense, and

- As a mediocre stop gap measure to make up for lacking infrastructure.

The idea that busses go on the highway in Seattle is appalling

[throwawayboise]

With trains you are limited because you need a certain amount of separation between trains for safety, and station platforms are only so long which limits the number of cars that can load/unload. And at the final terminal (typically the main downtown station) there are a finite number of platforms which limits the number of trains that can be in the station at any one time.

Agree that you can move many more people on one set of rails than one highway, but it's not unlimited.

[Gwypaas]

Regarding the terminus stations, in Europe many central stations are being converted, or where built as, through stations. This allows for much higher throughput since trains don't have to turn around.