Optimal Mix: Light Rail vs. Bus Rapid Transit with Professor Niels van Oort

Join Paul Comfort on this episode of Transit Unplugged for an insightful conversation with Professor Niels van Oort, Associate Professor of Public Transport and Shared Mobility at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and co-director of the Smart Public Transport Lab. Paul and Niels explore critical considerations in transit planning, including the effectiveness of light rail versus bus rapid transit (BRT), integration with cycling and micro-mobility, and global best practices for creating high-quality transit systems. 

 

Niels shares details about his innovative transportation planning game designed to help students and professionals balance various mobility modes and societal goals. He also discusses the benefits, challenges, and appropriate contexts for implementing light rail and BRT systems, emphasizing the importance of seamless integration with active transport modes like cycling. 

• Course—Planning Public Transport Services:   https://ppts-course.org/
• Serious game ‘Finding the optimal mix’: https://deoptimalemix.nl/en/
•  Light Rail Transit Systems; 61 Lessons in Sustainable Urban Development: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/light-rail-transit-systems/der-bijl/978-0-12-814784-9
•  Better buses: BRT and other bus modes:  https://www.ovmagazine.nl/boeken/betere-bus
•  Weblog public transport research output: https://nielsvanoort.weblog.tudelft.nl/
•  Smart Public Transport Lab: www.SmartPTLab.TUDelft.nl
• You can read more about Dr. Oort’s work here: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ceg/about-faculty/departments/transport-planning/staff/personal-pages/oort-n-van 

 

Additionally, communication experts Rebecca Klein and Keith Scott from TALLsmall Productions (https://tallsmallproductions.org/) provide practical guidance on mentorship, highlighting strategies for effective mentor-mentee relationships, open communication, and meaningful feedback. 

Highlights: 

• Insights into the comparative advantages of Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Bus Rapid...