知らなかった。マドリードは12年間で地下鉄網をほぼ3倍の114kmから317kmに拡大した。35マイル（約56km）の拡張にかかった費用は、インフレ調整後のニューヨークでの1.5マイル（約2.4km）の延伸と同程度だった。
マドリード地下鉄、12年で3倍！NYの1.5マイルがマドリード35マイル分だと！？
挿話
挿話
挿話知らなかった。マドリードは12年間で地下鉄網をほぼ3倍の114kmから317kmに拡大した。35マイル（約56km）の拡張にかかった費用は、インフレ調整後のニューヨークでの1.5マイル（約2.4km）の延伸と同程度だった。
コメント
There is a [pretty comprehensive study](https://transitcosts.com/executive_summary/) of the factors that allowed Madrid (and similar cities) to build with much lower costs than NYC (and similar cities).
[This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nevn6vbyIA) summarizing the study is pretty good if you don’t feel like reading it.
Some of my takeaways: there isn’t any one overriding factor that contributes to higher costs for transit in the US — there are many factors. Some of them include:
* expensive tunneling rather than using “cut and cover” techniques
* designing the underground portion of stations larger than they absolutely have to be
* not having a standardized design to use repeatedly in order reduce soft costs and allow for easier procurement
* poor allocation of risks and functions between government and the private sector in ways that result in contractors charging taxpayers significant amounts of money and delays when unexpected developments occur
Building infrastructure in the USA is criminally expensive. Here you can read an article (in Spanish, but Google Translate may help) on why America sucks at building infrastructure. The author works at the Connecticut capitol.
New York has been trying and failing to build the desperately needed Second Avenue Subway for over 100 years. I’ll bet another century should finally do the trick!
Interesting lessons I wish Australia would learn
Can any American engineers or planners please educate me? What is causing this high cost? Is it the wages? Do palms need to be greased?
Adding to the general difficulty in building infra in the US, I would much rather wager on the cost and time/effort to extend a metro in any suburban area over downtown Manhattan. It’s not even remotely the same scale of problem.
Been to Madrid, the network is superb
I wish my city would go ahead with the program that was launched in 2006 and of which there is still no sign..
Wait until you hear how much the UK has spent to not build a railway
I am pretty sure “adjusted for inflation” does not mean what you think it means