Improving headways and making service more reliable can help reduce the negative public image faced by urban bus transit.

A piece by Ely Portillo in the Transit Time newsletter evaluates the stigma faced by bus transit. While "[b]uses still carry the majority of local transit riders, and they’re far cheaper and quicker to roll out than trains," taking the bus still suffers from a social stigma that must be overcome in order to boost ridership and make buses a viable daily transportation option for more Americans. In North Carolina, Charlotte City Council member Braxton Winston "pointed to residential segregation and the bus system’s historical use by people like cleaning personnel and domestic workers who needed to get into the city’s center to work but didn’t own cars" as factors in the negative public perception of buses.
But some transit advocates argue that discussing stigma "just doesn’t get at the real problem." As Jarrett Walker puts it, "[t]he real problem is people don’t use public transit if public transit is useless to them." Additionally, "it’s hard to talk about bus stigma without perpetuating bus stigma." Improving service, reducing headways, and making transit more accessible and affordable would do more to attract new riders, says Walker. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) "is taking steps to make its bus system more useful to riders," but according to Winston, the stigma remains. "If you don’t overcome that culture change, that’s gonna be tough. CATS can't do that alone."
FULL STORY: OVERCOMING THE 'STIGMA' OF RIDING THE BUS

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Bend Eliminates Parking Minimums
The city is complying with an Oregon state mandate that some cities have challenged in court.

How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

How Federal Policy Can Support More Affordable Housing in Exclusionary Communities
The recently funded “Yes In My Back Yard” federal grant program provides support for local and state governments to implement housing policy reforms, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the exclusionary practices of wealthy communities.

Increased Service, Employer Tax Breaks Entice Transit Ridership in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland transit planners are hoping workers returning to the office in 2023 will rediscover the benefits of a public transit commute.

NYC Mayor Adams Proposes Ambitious Housing Agenda in State of the City Address
Housing is one of four “pillars” proposed by Mayor Eric Adams in his “Working People’s Agenda.”
Town of Reading
Meridian Consultants
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
City of Morganton
St. Louis County, MO
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.