One of the Greatest Inventions in the History of Human Transport

Commenters describe Pascal’s mid-17th-century carriage service as notable for making predictable, fixed routes useful in city travel, rather than allowing carriages to go wherever passengers wanted. Several question whether scheduled transport was truly new, pointing to ancient ferries, Roman and medieval sailing schedules, and the Dutch trekschuit network, whose horse-drawn boats ran on purpose-built canals. Others distinguish these services from regular land transport, noting that wind and tides could make sailings unreliable, and that post carriages generally served longer-distance routes. The exchange also highlights how dependable routes can shape the places and activities built around them.

The discussion turns to whether frequent, dependable transit is achievable today. Some commenters say trains, buses, and trams commonly run every 5-15 minutes in European and Asian cities; others point to uneven service and weak regional connections. They attribute differences to density, public policy, congestion, and labor costs, while suggesting driverless transit could improve frequency. One commenter proposes using travel data and competitions to optimize routes and investment. Another argues that current data reflects lives already organized around existing service, so planners must also anticipate long-term urban change. That commenter emphasizes stable schedules: varying service may make transit harder to trust, even when adjustments seem efficient.