Transit Projections Are Hot Air

Reason's Cliff Slater points out that global warming and public transit have one thing in common. Both rely on sophisticated models and they are often completely wrong.

1 minute read

December 23, 2003, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Global warming and rail transit have in common that their predicted outcomes are the result of highly sophisticated computer programs. The problem is that the myriad variables comprising these programs are incomprehensible for the likes of you and me. But, as they say in the computer game, garbage in, garbage out... The problem with such computer models is that, with enough variables and with sufficient variability within each one, they can be tweaked to produce highly unlikely outcomes."

Thanks to George Passantino

Monday, December 15, 2003 in Reason Public Policy Institute

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