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Short-term, that is correct.

But long-term the maintenance is significantly higher, as you need to replace the road surface very frequently.

A usual bus stop, or a BRT lane, has to be replaced every 6 months if it’s asphalt, and every 18 to 24 months if it’s cobblestone. That’s a significant expense.

While you can build and use light rail for decades.




What about concrete? US interstates can go decades with high truck traffic if they are concrete.


Pure concrete leads to significant shifts between the plates over the years, leading to the well-known bump every time you pass between plates. This obviously affects the bus’s suspension, and passengers, negatively.

Concrete with asphalt on top of it has the issue of the asphalt having to be replaced frequently.

I’m not sure if US interstates with concrete are different, but these were the only options discussed here in Germany.




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