The politics of reshaping transit

10/04/22 • 45 min

Breaking our car dependence and reinvigorating our public transit system is not straightforward. It is a complicated and politically controversial process.

But a new generation of political leaders is working to reform how we invest in mobility options at the federal, state, and local levels.

In this episode, Andrei and Tiffany explore the longstanding obstacles to improving the quality of our transit systems — and how bold leaders are pushing the envelope to improve mobility for Americans.

Guests:

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss
Yonah Freemark, research director at the Urban Institute’s Land Use Lab
Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America

Listen to ModeShift on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Breaking our car dependence and reinvigorating our public transit system is not straightforward. It is a complicated and politically controversial process.

But a new generation of political leaders is working to reform how we invest in mobility options at the federal, state, and local levels.

Guests:

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss
Yonah Freemark, research director at the Urban Institute’s Land Use Lab
Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America

Listen to ModeShift on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Previous Episode

Transit on the brink

America’s transit system is struggling. How do we fix it?

A D minus. That’s what the American Society of Civil Engineers gives US transit infrastructure for a grade. There’s a $176 billion repair backlog across the country; nearly half of the population doesn't have access to any transit; and only 5% of US workers use a train or bus to get to work.

Ridership on transit was already declining even before Covid hit. Today, it's still not anywhere close to where it was before the pandemic. Meanwhile, Americans spend more and more on transportation.

In our first episode of ModeShift, co-hosts Andrei Greenawalt and Tiffany Chu talk with experts about the state of transit – exploring the history of transit’s decline, and the economic and environmental impact of car dependency.

Guests:

Transit expert Jerome Horne
Peter Norton, associate professor of history at the University of Virginia.
Beth Osborne, director of Transportation for America

Listen to ModeShift on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Next Episode

A new era for rural transit

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Rural transit needs help. According to analysis from the National Transit Database, 87 percent of the least-productive bus networks are located in rural counties with populations lower than 50,000 residents.

These “transit deserts” in rural areas have major social, economic, and health consequences. How can technology and better planning solve the problem?

In this episode, Andrei and Tiffany explore the rural transit divide. Across the country, small towns and cities are coming up with new solutions to old mobility problems – making rural transit smarter, more accessible, and more affordable.

Guests: