We ride around Munich from the city center to the suburban palaces. We hit it all, trams, buses, U-Bahn and S-Bahn. Home of BMW, our trip reveals a car capital where transit is still king. • Major renovations and expansion of the Munich Hauptbahnhof and what it changes • tram frequency, speed differences versus Vienna, and signage wins • walkability around Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt • cross-town bus to BMW and Olympic Park to test outer links • U-Bahn service levels, proof-of-paym...

We revisit Kansas City to mark the opening of the Main Street streetcar extension and map the next moves that could turn a single corridor into a connected, free-to-ride system. From mixed-traffic tradeoffs to dedicated lanes, riverfront housing, hospitals, and historic districts, we trace how rails can reshape daily life. • original two-mile streetcar purpose and performance • how free fares drive ridership and small business gains • Main Street extension to UMKC, Plaza, and midtown • opera...

We explore Vienna using only public transit, testing the city’s frequency, coverage, and ease of use while visiting multiple transit hubs, Schönbrunn Palace, the museum district, and many destinations along the way. Using buses, trams, U-bahn, S-Bahn, and bike share, we reflect on how Vienna supports true Freedom of Mobility. Some highlights: • a full day using U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses, bike share • honor-system fares, all-door boarding, and ticket options • U-Bahn frequ...

We mark the launch of DART’s Silver Line with a first-hand ride, a look at the trains and stations, and frank talk about service levels, airport access, and what success would look like. Local leaders and advocates weigh in on ridership, TOD, and how policy shaped the project’s path. • Why the Silver Line matters for regional mobility • Route overview and service span • Airport access and frequency trade-offs • Opening day impressions and rider experience • Planni...

What if the fastest way to speed up buses isn’t a new gadget, but removing a ritual that steals minutes at every stop? We dig into the push for fare-free buses—why the idea is surging in New York City, what Kansas City learned after rolling it back, and how speed, safety, and budgets collide when the farebox goes quiet. We start with the tangible wins: all-door boarding, shorter dwell times, and less anxiety for occasional riders who don’t know the local payment dance. Then we press into the...

Houston’s Red Line lost its signal preemption, and reliability unraveled across the city’s busiest transit corridor. We trace what changed, why it matters for speed and safety, and how riders and advocates are pushing to restore a lifeline. • Red Line’s high frequency and ridership • How signal preemption sustains reliability • Sudden delays after downtown retiming • Confusion over city versus Metro roles • The real cost of lost minutes and bunching • A foot race that tied the train • LINK H...

Freedom of mobility isn't just a catchy phrase—it's the foundation of a vision for Texas where citizens aren't bound to a single transportation option. State Representative John Bucy shares his ambitious plans for expanding transportation choices across the Lone Star State, from high-speed rail connecting major cities to defending Austin's Project Connect light rail system. As one of the legislature's most vocal transit advocates, Bucy has sponsored critical legislation like HB 483 (authoriz...

Communities across the United States successfully fought and prevented destructive highway projects from being built through their neighborhoods from the 1960s to 1970s. These grassroots movements saved historic areas like New York's SoHo, Portland's southeast neighborhoods, New Orleans' French Quarter, and Toronto's Annex district from being demolished for massive expressways. • Jane Jacobs led opposition to the Lower Manhattan Expressway (LOMEX) that would have destroyed SoHo, Little Italy...

Philadelphia stands at a transit crossroads. Amidst uncertainty over SEPTA's financial future, ambitious plans for a Roosevelt Boulevard subway system offer a glimpse of what could transform the city's northeastern corridor. Our conversation with Jay from the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway advocacy group unpacks both challenges and opportunities facing Philly's transit landscape. The SEPTA funding situation exemplifies the frustrating cycle of American transit politics. Despite service resuming ...

Regional trains in Germany carried 1.6 billion passengers in 2022, ten times more than the high-speed ICE trains, connecting small towns with reliable service. Our journey between Leipzig and Dresden reveals the impressive frequency of German regional rail, with 40 daily trains between cities comparable to Austin-San Antonio, which has just one Amtrak service per day. • Leipzig, Germany's 8th largest city with 600,000 residents, boasts Europe's largest train station by structure size • Dresd...

We rank Baltimore's public transit system after exploring the city using only buses, subway, light rail, and ferries, finding unexpected strengths in frequency, connectivity, and customer service. • Baltimore offers free harbor ferry service that locals actually use for commuting • The city runs frequent crosstown buses with impressive 10-minute headways • Multiple transit employees proactively helped us navigate the system • The subway features massive, brutalist stations designed for conne...

Austin's transit agency CapMetro is preparing to adjust its bus network to integrate with the upcoming light rail system, creating connections between buses and trains while maintaining efficient service across the city. • Project Connect light rail construction will begin in 2027 after surviving legislative challenges • Three contractors qualified for final engineering and construction with selection coming in early 2026 • Three options proposed for busiest routes (801/803): continue alongs...

We head to the Gulf Coast to ride the first revenue service of Amtrak's brand new Mardi Gras train, connecting Mobile to New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in 2005. • Chris travels to his hometown of Mobile to document this historic service restoration • The Mardi Gras service acknowledges Mobile as the birthplace of North American Mardi Gras, predating New Orleans by 16 years • Hurricane Katrina destroyed rail infrastructure along the Gulf Coast, en...

Boston's North and South stations serve as critical transit hubs but remain disconnected despite a century of failed attempts to link them. • North Station serves 40,000 daily commuters from northern suburbs and connects to Amtrak's Downeaster route • South Station handles 60,000 daily commuters and serves as terminus for multiple Amtrak routes including Acela • Transferring between stations requires a 16-25 minute journey using multiple subway lines • Five major attempts to connect the stat...

The North Star Rail line in Minnesota is being canceled after struggling with ridership, particularly following a devastating 98% drop during the pandemic. Though originally conceived as an 80-mile connection between Minneapolis and St. Cloud, budget constraints limited it to just 40 miles ending in Big Lake, setting the project up for challenges from the start. • 40-mile commuter rail line with seven stations running from Minneapolis to Big Lake • Pre-pandemic ridership approached 800,000 a...

We explore how car-sharing services like Zipcar are changing urban mobility patterns and helping people reduce or eliminate personal car ownership while maintaining flexibility for special trips. • Car sharing complements public transit with each shared vehicle taking up to 13 privately owned cars off the street • 83% of Zipcar members don't own cars, and 27% sell their cars within a year of joining • 63% of car-sharing members are regular transit riders who use cars for occasional needs • M...

We explore the revived Baltimore Red Line light rail project with Jerome Horne, Deputy Communications Director, who explains how this 14-mile east-west corridor will transform transportation across the city while potentially healing historical urban scars. • The Red Line project dates back to 2002 planning but was canceled in 2015 just before construction began • Governor Wes Moore resurrected the project in 2023, recognizing its vital importance to Baltimore's transportation network • Three...

Philadelphia's public transit agency, SEPTA, faces devastating 45% budget cuts if Pennsylvania doesn't pass adequate funding, threatening to eliminate 50 bus routes, end rail service at 9 pm, and cancel five suburban rail lines. We are joined by Steve, a Transit advocate from How We Get Around, to discuss the crisis and ongoing fight to save the system. • SEPTA's funding crisis stems from Act 89's reduction from $450 million to $50 million for public transit statewide • COVID relief funds te...

Philadelphia, one of America’s oldest cities, blends rich history with a dense, walkable urban core. Its transit system, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA), includes subways, trolleys, buses, and regional rail that connect neighborhoods, suburbs, and key destinations like the airport and multiple universities. While aging infrastructure poses challenges, Philly’s compact layout makes it one of the most transit-accessible cities in the U.S. • SEPTA's tap...

America's oldest subway system is experiencing a renaissance. After facing system-wide speed restrictions and a severe deficit of public trust in early 2023, Boston's MBTA has engineered a remarkable turnaround that's transforming how people move throughout the city and beyond. Andrew Cassidy, MBTA’s Senior Director of Digital Strategy, joins us to share how transparency, leadership changes, and creative rider engagement (including their podcast Spilling the Tea) are driving a remarkable tur...