Er, yeah, New York Did that too. Brooklyn was an independent city until 1898, and if it were still an independent city, it would be the 4th largest city in America. Queens was all small towns that merged as well. Subways nevertheless manage to run allllll night. And, for the record, Long Island Railroad, one of the major commuter systems (and America’s oldest continuously operating railroad), runs well past midnight as well, thereby accomodating the many people who come into NYC from the 'burbs for theater, dining, etc.
London has 32 boroughs. Golder’s Green is London just the same as Forest Hills is New York City!
The reasons for London’s limitations are technical (lack of double-tracking, deep-dug system etc) and there isn’t any way around it – and most systems worldwide are not 24 hours – but its crazy that public transit shuts down so early!
Speaking as someone who lived in Chicago for a couple of years and who has lived in London for most of the last decade, the rhythms of the two cities don’t seem too different to me.
While living in broadly similarish neighbourhoods in relation to the city centre, I rarely used the L in Chicago, but almost invariably use the Tube in London. Conversely, I was always on buses in Chicago, but rarely use buses here. And the underlying reasons for this are relatively minor. In Chicago I happened to be living on one of the main bus routes into the Loop, while a few blocks from an L line. Here I’m literally across the road from a Tube station (while also on several major bus routes).
My point is that, at least as far as infrastructure and the like are concerned, adjusting to the specifics of living reasonably centrally in a particular major city like either London or Chicago is a pretty minor deal. Certainly compared to not living in such a city.
Hello Again–yes, I know. I was answering the poster who said that Chicago’s Metra served suburbs so that it couldn’t be counted as city transit. My point was that London enveloped many towns etc that became suburbs over the years and are served via Tube. I didn’t bring NYC into it at all. You make a good point, but given that there are alternative ways to getting around London after midnight, and that this system seems to have worked for the residents for decades now, I don’t see much room for complaint.
I looked online for the sizes of NYC and London, but could only find one for NYC: 304 sq. m. down from 322 due to redrawing the line per Bloomberg. London is estimated to be around 300 square miles as well.
I just don’t see size being the deciding factor in how a city runs its mass transit. YMMV.
Instead of all this bickering, let’s go down to the pub for (in my case) half pint.
