Counter the Experience Bias…With New Experiences

It’s hard for people to be excited about something they’ve never experienced before. How can we use positive experiences to change that?

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedApril 2, 2024public transportation, bus, transit, safe and productive streets

Waiting for the Bus Doesn’t Have To Be This Bad

Why don’t the small things get funding?

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMarch 29, 2024bus, transit, public transportation, safe and productive streets, infrastructure

Could Dedicated Bus Lanes Turn Los Angeles Into a Transit Town?

Los Angeles is often held up as the case study for car-centric development run amok, but in recent years, the city has been pursuing a completely different path: public transit champion.

News, Trending, Top StoryBen AbramsonNovember 3, 2023buses, transit, public transportation, california, safe and productive streets

Jake Berman: Lost Subways of North America

We talk with author Jake Berman about the history of rail networks in America’s cities and why our transit systems are the way that they are in the current era.

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 31, 2023books, rail, public transportation, transit, history, maps

Lessons From Estonia: Free Fares Alone Won’t Boost Ridership

In 2013, the capital of Estonia, Tallinn, declared transit (buses, trains, and trams) free for residents. So why is it that more Estonians are driving now than they were 10 years ago?

Asia MieleszkoOctober 26, 2023transit, europe, public transportation, transportation

Street Fight: Why We Should Fight the Good Fight for Happy, Healthy, and Beautiful Places

Don’t wage a war against drivers, but don’t wage a war for them, either.

The Secret to Vibrant Streets? Focus on What People Can See

Transit-oriented development suggests that homes, shops, and services should all be located within 400 meters of transit. The actual distance to create vibrant streets may be much shorter.

Top StoryTristan ClevelandSeptember 22, 2023urban design, Street Design, europe, public transportation, transit

Don’t Ban Cars; Ban the Car Monopoly

The key to transportation reform is to add options, then let people choose.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedSeptember 19, 2023car culture, car dependency, transportation, public transportation

A Life Without Car Ownership: The Challenges Are Not What I Thought They’d Be!

Five years ago, Emma Durand-Wood’s family decided to try the car-free lifestyle. And although they’ve experienced many positives from their choice, there have also been undeniable challenges.

3 Approaches to Transit That Didn't Break the Bank

Building transit in the U.S. is oftentimes exponentially more expensive than anywhere else in the world. But what if there was a better way?

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoAugust 29, 2023public transportation, Local-Motive Tour, transit

Disability Advocate to Local Leaders: "Roll With Me"

A sudden tragedy left Mark Raymond paralyzed. Now he’s helping New Orleans create a more accessible transportation system.

Envisioning a Rail Culture for the U.S.

Conventional wisdom holds that the U.S. doesn’t know how to do rail—but Union Station shows that we do, in fact, have a history and the knowledge to build grand public transportation systems.

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtJuly 7, 2023rail, public transportation, transit

How Wooden Benches Breathed Life Back Into an Emaciated Transit System

When this Texan city’s bus system fell into decline, local advocates took the next smallest (but highly effective) step toward making their public transit more hospitable: by installing homemade bus benches.

In Philadelphia, the I-95 Collapse Is Igniting a Conversation About Transit

On June 11, 2023, a tanker truck caught fire in Northeast Philadelphia, killing its driver and devastating over 100 feet of Interstate 95 above it. Now the city is reconsidering its dependency on the highway.

News, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoJune 28, 2023highways, freeways, transit, rail, end highway expansion, pennsylvania, public transportation

Beyond the Farebox: The Real Costs and Benefits of "Free" Transit

Plenty of debate swirls around the question of whether or not government services like transit should be "free" to the end user. Here's what's missing from that debate.

Why Keep Doing “Good” Things if They Make Me Feel So Bad?

Two radically different bus trips highlight a common conundrum for supporters of public transit.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodMay 25, 2023bus, buses, transit, transportation, public transportation, canada

The Federal Government’s Congestion Mitigation Money Almost Paid for a Parking Garage

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is concerned about decreased ridership on public transit... So, why is it pushing for time and money to be spent on more car infrastructure?

E-Scooters: A So-So Product in a Terrible Market

The news of Paris restricting e-scooters has been widely criticized by urbanists and mobility advocates across the web. Here’s why it might not be such a bad call, after all.

Warren Buffett Doesn’t Like Spending on Streetcars (but Has No Problem With Crazy Highway Spending)

Warren Buffet has broken his practice of “staying out of local politics" to criticize a streetcar project in his home city of Omaha, NE…but why does he have nothing to say on the city’s ridiculous and reckless highway projects?