Transit Tangents

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 y...

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...

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...

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 c...

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, reco...

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 reduc...

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 m...

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 rid...

Boston proves its rank as one of America's premier transit cities through our comprehensive exploration of its historic first subway, vintage trolleys, modern rail lines, and extensive bike infrastructure.

• Visit to the Mattapan Trolley line featuring 1940s streetcars in regular daily service
• Interview with Andrew Cassidy from MBTA about America's first subway, built in 1897
• Exploration of how Boston...

Chris and Louis respond to viewer requests by ranking the eight city tours they've featured on the show. The rankings are based on the quality of public transit, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each system, as well as their experiences in each city. 

The cities being ranked: 

• Austin, TX
• Dallas, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Houston, TX
• New Orleans, LA
• Washington, D.C.
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Kansas City, MO

Let us know h...

Columbus, Ohio is undertaking an ambitious $8 billion transit plan known as LinkUS that will transform mobility across the region through 2050. We explore this voter-approved initiative that focuses on BRT corridors, active transportation, and transit-oriented development rather than light rail.

• Three major BRT corridors forming the backbone of the system with plans for more
• Most corridors will feature dedicated bu...

Louis and Chris dive into seven American highways that should be removed to improve city life and reconnect communities divided by urban renewal projects of the past.

• Kansas City's North Loop divides downtown from the historic River Market area, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses
• Syracuse's I-81 removal project is moving forward with plans to replace the downtown viaduct with a boulevard
• New...

Transit projects across the country are making measurable progress despite earlier funding and political challenges. We revisit four transit initiatives from previous episodes to highlight the positive developments that show momentum for public transportation investments.

• SunRail expansion in Orlando has secured the full $6 million needed for project development and environmental studies, with Universal contributing $2 m...

Transit Tangents explores Kansas City's public transportation system in a day-long adventure testing buses, bikes, and the streetcar across both Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. We discover a surprising transit network with remarkable architectural treasures and vibrant neighborhoods connected by a completely fare-free system.

• Kansas City operates the largest fare-free transit system in the United Stat...

The Research Triangle area of North Carolina keeps trying—and failing—to develop effective transit solutions despite strong voter support for improvements. After a promising light rail project was derailed by Duke University in 2019, the region has pivoted to Bus Rapid Transit projects with mixed success.

• Voters approved a half-cent sales tax in 2011-2012 specifically for transit improvements including the 17.7-mile Durh...

Louis announces his move to Germany for two years, as the Transit Tangents Pod plans to continue with a mix of European and American content.

• Germany's Deutschland ticket offers access to the entire country's public transit for a monthly fee
• German transit operates on multiple tiers: ICE (high-speed), IC (intercity), RE/RB (regional), plus local networks
• High-speed ICE trains connect major cities at...

The traffic management centers across the United States are mission control for our highway systems, working 24/7 to detect incidents and coordinate emergency responses to keep traffic flowing.

• Behind-the-scenes look at a Traffic Management Center (TMC) that monitors interstate highways with 300+ cameras
• Overview of how TMCs detect traffic incidents using radar and probe-based data from cell phones
• Insight in...

Transit advocates are watching with concern as several high-profile transit projects across America face uncertain futures under the Trump administration, from New York's congestion pricing to California's high-speed rail.

• NYC's congestion pricing has shown remarkable early success with 70% fewer honking complaints, 50% fewer traffic injuries, and increased transit ridership
• The MTA's $500 milli...

The saga of high-speed rail in Texas takes another dramatic turn as the Trump administration revokes $60 million in funding previously allocated to Amtrak for the Texas Central project. Despite this setback, we explore why the Dallas-Houston line might actually be closer to reality than ever before.

• Texas high-speed rail initiatives date back to the 1990s when Southwest Airlines played a significant role in derailing ear...