[joe_the_user]

The thing is, Europe, where the environment is a significant consideration, also builds subways (and other things) at significantly faster speeds and lower cost than the US.

If you look in any detail, it's not a matter of some magic the Chinese or whoever have, it's matter of the corrupt nexus of interests that have come to soak up any transit spending in the US, in particular.

[thiscatis]

No they don't. Typical bureaucratic examples:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oosterweel_Link

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/berlin-brandenburg-ai...

[joe_the_user]

Those are just anecdotes. You can google up ten articles verifying US transit construction costs are higher per mile - and the US is much more spread out too.

Random article.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/us-rail-projects-take-...

[thiscatis]

maybe because a mile is longer than a kilometer...