Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Get 15% discount your next Manta Sleep mask by using the code "beautifully"! mantasleep.pxf.io/rEDxGG
The cost of building transit in the Anglosphere has spiralled out of control. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong are all terrible at managing transit costs. Meanwhile, nations like France, Spain, South Korea and Turkey are running laps around the Anglosphere, building world-class transit at unprecedented speeds for prices up to four times cheaper. There is no reason for building transit to cost this much. Follow me as we unpack the staggering reasons that costs have spiralled out of control, and what we can do about it.
Thank you to Jedwin Mok for appearing in this video! Jedwin introduced me to the transit costs crisis in mid-2025, which led me to ultimately create this video and interview him for it.
Check out my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/building_beautifully
Check out my store: https://buildingbeautifully.com.au/
Support me over at Patreon! patreon.com/c/user/membership?u=82269508
Join my Discord: discord.gg/Hg2cMkaedH
Check out my TikTok: tiktok.com/@buildingbeautifully
I've made lots of videos about the places involved in this video - check them out below, and also browse my channel directly in case I've missed any:
Why does no one use public transport in the United States? youtu.be/iqz4dQMXOKg
How political meddling nearly meant the Sydney Metro was never built: youtu.be/WNADV006VuU
Perth's railways are incredible. youtu.be/lhS-fiJ14GU
The B-Line (a bus rapid transit project in Sydney that proves why buses suck) youtu.be/kkqLrTtpGsQ
Toronto's Transit youtu.be/_dng40-LWLM
Seoul's Metro youtu.be/gOdB0GJ9ju0
Shanghai's Metro youtu.be/kGLy5ZEQbuc
Singapore's MRT youtu.be/A-2yJuLcVcE
Links:
University of Toronto report about transit costs in Canada, which Jedwin Mok is an author on: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQBuRNMD7BAvRYYsj8ZOEjvkAYa6VVutdcUCP4WQMhwOTC0?e=rrya6P
Follow-up University of Toronto report about transit costs in Australia, which Jedwin Mok is an author on (and which Building Beautifully is credited on at the end!): https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQBlZ5-HmRUvTrqiAU_pss0YAQnMddYCAsVYNYB_kmoAMOE?e=tAM4nC
The Problem Factory paper by Dan Davies: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQAKMDMlT1V6RIEYeOkl96pOAfYtTFMZ8S8N-VknlQ1LZO4?e=bDr5Kq
Gratten Institute report into costly transit in Australia: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQAnNM47i5pwT4ThMWguQozWAcRx_gBddd2AIwfcnFjnG2I?e=rq36M9
The spreadsheet I manually created to collate the cost of various projects across the Anglosphere and compare them to cheaper jurisdictions: https://1drv.ms/x/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQApQpAbby1PTrQSkBLo1IDuASba5Br8kLTQBWM95rPyT3o?e=3ei4aE
Another much more in-depth spreadsheet by the Transit Costs Project - I got most of my data from here: https://1drv.ms/x/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQCxJ8nrTdAiRqEHIIrRGLHDAXojE_ZxYEYp8GTOG2dRZ0g?e=6rLTNu
SMH article about cross-passages on the Sydney Metro: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/major-backflip-on-emergency-exits-for-sydney-metro-rail-tunnels-20230125-p5cfd3.html
Article about HS2 - "Putting the Brakes on Infrastructure" https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQA1aEUw8eJXR57vzbvp2wR2ASPcm_6WckHyuqq-Ukw7atk?e=BN2PrK
Peter Martinovich's NSW parliamentary submission on how Perth keeps transit costs down: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQCX5FqrqqbgTY3TjNcJRmjlAZLuV5-sPLD5VkhId4Znb68?e=QdDU52
The Los Angeles Metro: Unacceptable Crime, High Costs, and Unnecessary Expansions: independent.org/article/2025/10/15/the-los-angeles-metro-unacceptable-crime-high-costs-and-unnecessary-expansions
This video contains my personal views based on public information, research, and interviews. They do not represent the views of my employer, and no internal or confidential project information is referenced.
Get 15% discount your next Manta Sleep mask by using the code "beautifully"! mantasleep.pxf.io/rEDxGG
The cost of building transit in the Anglosphere has spiralled out of control. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong are all terrible at managing transit costs. Meanwhile, nations like France, Spain, South Korea and Turkey are running laps around the Anglosphere, building world-class transit at unprecedented speeds for prices up to four times cheaper. There is no reason for building transit to cost this much. Follow me as we unpack the staggering reasons that costs have spiralled out of control, and what we can do about it.
Thank you to Jedwin Mok for appearing in this video! Jedwin introduced me to the transit costs crisis in mid-2025, which led me to ultimately create this video and interview him for it.
Check out my Linktree: https://linktr.ee/building_beautifully
Check out my store: https://buildingbeautifully.com.au/
Support me over at Patreon! patreon.com/c/user/membership?u=82269508
Join my Discord: discord.gg/Hg2cMkaedH
Check out my TikTok: tiktok.com/@buildingbeautifully
I've made lots of videos about the places involved in this video - check them out below, and also browse my channel directly in case I've missed any:
Why does no one use public transport in the United States? youtu.be/iqz4dQMXOKg
How political meddling nearly meant the Sydney Metro was never built: youtu.be/WNADV006VuU
Perth's railways are incredible. youtu.be/lhS-fiJ14GU
The B-Line (a bus rapid transit project in Sydney that proves why buses suck) youtu.be/kkqLrTtpGsQ
Toronto's Transit youtu.be/_dng40-LWLM
Seoul's Metro youtu.be/gOdB0GJ9ju0
Shanghai's Metro youtu.be/kGLy5ZEQbuc
Singapore's MRT youtu.be/A-2yJuLcVcE
Links:
University of Toronto report about transit costs in Canada, which Jedwin Mok is an author on: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQBuRNMD7BAvRYYsj8ZOEjvkAYa6VVutdcUCP4WQMhwOTC0?e=rrya6P
Follow-up University of Toronto report about transit costs in Australia, which Jedwin Mok is an author on (and which Building Beautifully is credited on at the end!): https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQBlZ5-HmRUvTrqiAU_pss0YAQnMddYCAsVYNYB_kmoAMOE?e=tAM4nC
The Problem Factory paper by Dan Davies: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQAKMDMlT1V6RIEYeOkl96pOAfYtTFMZ8S8N-VknlQ1LZO4?e=bDr5Kq
Gratten Institute report into costly transit in Australia: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQAnNM47i5pwT4ThMWguQozWAcRx_gBddd2AIwfcnFjnG2I?e=rq36M9
The spreadsheet I manually created to collate the cost of various projects across the Anglosphere and compare them to cheaper jurisdictions: https://1drv.ms/x/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQApQpAbby1PTrQSkBLo1IDuASba5Br8kLTQBWM95rPyT3o?e=3ei4aE
Another much more in-depth spreadsheet by the Transit Costs Project - I got most of my data from here: https://1drv.ms/x/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQCxJ8nrTdAiRqEHIIrRGLHDAXojE_ZxYEYp8GTOG2dRZ0g?e=6rLTNu
SMH article about cross-passages on the Sydney Metro: https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/major-backflip-on-emergency-exits-for-sydney-metro-rail-tunnels-20230125-p5cfd3.html
Article about HS2 - "Putting the Brakes on Infrastructure" https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQA1aEUw8eJXR57vzbvp2wR2ASPcm_6WckHyuqq-Ukw7atk?e=BN2PrK
Peter Martinovich's NSW parliamentary submission on how Perth keeps transit costs down: https://1drv.ms/b/c/4581db26fec1b7aa/IQCX5FqrqqbgTY3TjNcJRmjlAZLuV5-sPLD5VkhId4Znb68?e=QdDU52
The Los Angeles Metro: Unacceptable Crime, High Costs, and Unnecessary Expansions: independent.org/article/2025/10/15/the-los-angeles-metro-unacceptable-crime-high-costs-and-unnecessary-expansions
This video contains my personal views based on public information, research, and interviews. They do not represent the views of my employer, and no internal or confidential project information is referenced.
