Urban Transportation's Four Separate Challenges

At the Shared Use Mobility Summit in Chicago, Jarrett Walker cautioned the tech world to keep four key transportation problems in mind.

1 minute read

April 3, 2018, 5:00 AM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Jeff McMahon sums up transit expert Jarrett Walker's comments at the National Shared Mobility Summit held in March. "Walker argued that technology can solve some problems, but not the same problem that public transit solves." 

McMahon references a memorable Twitter spat between Walker and Elon Musk in which the Tesla founder criticized typical modes of transit and insulted Walker directly. At the summit, Walker called attention to "four separate problems of urban transportation which have four separate kinds of solutions," further arguing that "it is very important to not mistake the solution for one problem for the solution for a different problem."

The list includes 1) communications and real time information, for which digital tech has proven useful; 2) emissions and energy efficiency; 3) labor and safety; and 4) the amount of urban space different modes take up. 

Walker argued that "The fixed-route bus or train is the vehicle of the future [...] because it remains the most efficient way to move large numbers of people through the congested space of a city."

Monday, March 19, 2018 in Forbes

View of Interstate 205 bridge over Columbia River with Mt. Hood in background.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project

The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

September 19, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

A derelict sign on a barbed wire fence reads “Golf Course, Private, No Admittance.”

Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like

Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.

September 19, 2023 - The Business Journals

Close-up of red Houston BCycle bike share bikes parked at a station

Houston To End Bike Share Program

Lacking the funding it needs to continue, Houston’s BCycle bike share system will end operations in the coming months.

September 18, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

Close-up of Unalakleet, Alaska on map.

FTA Announces Tribal Transit Program Grants

The agency awarded close to $10 million to 22 communities around the country for transit improvements.

3 hours ago - Mass Transit

View from inside glass top floor of Amtrak passenger train with Rocky Mountains scenery outside.

Making Colorado’s Front Range Rail a Reality

Local leaders are scrambling to bring together the funding and political support to create new intercity rail service in the fast-growing region.

4 hours ago - Governing

Students walking on sunny walkway on college campus.

How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream

Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.

5 hours ago - The Daily

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.