My megaproject ideas are mostly pretty standard. I’d build a high speed rail network across North America, and build and expand metro and regional rail systems in and around every city. I’d turn all cities and suburbs into fifteen-minute cities. I’d decommodify housing, and build ten million units of public/social/non-market housing, mostly three bedroom units. I’d link those last three policies together by building TODs around the new Metro and rail stops. And I’d build bicycle networks in every town and city and connect them to the TODs. I’d build bridges and walkways across skyscrapers. I’d put a bidet in every American toilet (uses less water than toilet paper apart from being more comfortable). Fiber internet in every home. A heat pump in every home. An induction stove in every kitchen. Phase out fossil fuels and power everything with Pumped Storage Hydropower and Geothermal. I’d make the US go Metric.
But my truly crazy, obsessive idea would be to bring back the French Revolutionary calendar. Or I’d purge all French influences from English.
They’re a relic of the cold war even here in Europe. Only ÖBB runs night passenger trains covering mostly Germany, Austria (since ÖBB = Austrian Federal Railways) and Northern Italy.
In many cases, due to cuts, ran-like-a-business principles, understaffing and underinvestment, here in Germany it can be hard to get anywhere by train after 9 PM. Bus Night lines are more common, but that’s a big city thing.