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© 2026 Transit Tangents
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The Podcast where we discuss all things transit. Join us as we dive into transit systems across the US, bring you interviews with experts and advocates, and engage in some fun and exciting challenges along the way.
108 Episodes
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We trace how London turned a messy rail network into a global template for wayfinding, from the Underground roundel to Harry Beck’s diagrammatic map and the Legible London street totems. We compare London’s cohesive design to New York’s hybrid map history and ask what riders truly need now that apps guide most trips. • the roundel’s role in unifying London transport • Edward Johnston’s type and a shared design language • Harry Beck’s diagram and why straight lines work • minimal geography ve...
We ride the Thuringian Waldbahn from Gotha through forest and small towns, tracing its history and design while asking why systems like this are rare elsewhere. Along the way we test timed transfers, swap notes on fares, and weigh what rural mobility could look like in the US. • route overview from Gotha to Waltershausen, Friedrichroda and Bad Tabarz • single track operations with passing loops • history from 1894 urban tram to 1929 Waldbahn • fare simplicity with the Deutschlandticket • reg...
Eight new transit links, one very mobile year. We’re diving into the projects that will actually change how U.S. cities move in 2026—from a light rail that glides over a floating bridge to a long‑awaited people mover that finally tames LAX’s traffic loop. If you care about frequency, airport access, and walkable neighborhoods, this tour is your roadmap to the projects that matter. Hit play, share with a transit‑curious friend, and tell us which city got it right. Subscribe and leave a review...
A celebratory Silver Line opening collides with city referendums to leave DART, putting service, funding, and future upgrades at risk. We weigh the politics and the human impact, and lay out what residents can do before the 2026 votes. • Silver Line ridership settling into expectations • What Plano currently receives from DART • Land use gaps around stations and jobs • Why sales tax capture is driving exit talk • Debt payoff timelines if cities leave • System impacts of losing Plano and Irvi...
We unpack Seattle’s latest transit surge, from the Federal Way light rail extension to the cross‑lake Two Line testing across the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. We close with the express‑lane BRT buildout and how highway stitches, feeder routes, and frequent service can reshape daily trips. • Federal Way extension scope, stations, and timeline • Federal Way retail core and TOD potential toward Tacoma • Pros and cons of building along I‑5 • Cross‑lake Two Line testing on the floating bridge...
We examine whether night trains can work in the United States by starting with a real sleeper ride from Zurich to Leipzig and then mapping routes where overnight service fits naturally. Dreamstar’s proposed LA–SF sleeper gets a reality check, while Amtrak’s current options and price gaps are unpacked with practical fixes. • First‑hand review of ÖBB Nightjet Zurich to Leipzig • Differences between compartments and open‑berth formats • Snapshot of U.S. sleeper history and Pullman luxury • Amtr...
We ride Zurich’s entire transit ecosystem in one day, testing how trams, S-Bahn, buses, funiculars, a cog railway, an aerial cable car, and a lake ferry connect... without a subway. Along the way, we unpack why Zurich never built a U-Bahn and how integration, signage, and frequency keep the city moving. • highlights from Polybahn to funiculars • Dolderbahn’s rack system • Zurich tram network scale, history, and headways • Stadelhofen’s capacity squeeze and planned fourth track • aerial cable...
We mark 100 straight weeks by revisiting our 2025 transit list and tracking which projects delivered results. Chicago’s frequent buses, NYC’s congestion pricing, LA’s push for speed and access, and new lines in Dallas and Honolulu show how funding, design, and frequency reshape cities. • Chicago launches 10-minute bus corridors and upgrades Red and Purple stations • Illinois passes SB 211 for governance reform and $1.5bn annual transit funding • NYC congestion pricing raises hundreds of mill...
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...
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