Edward Glaeser pens an opinion piece on the missing ingredient in the bus riding experience—cool. Not necessarily Mick Jagger cool, but definitely Steve Jobs cool.
Edward Glaeser starts by acknowledging that although buses are more cost efficient that trains, the former wins the public opinion battle, hands down.
So, “For better or worse, the obvious economic benefits of buses won’t win hearts and minds. We need tough medicine on the city streets that reduces stops and competing traffic. But we also need a heavy dose of design — some beauty in our buses.”
Glaeser goes on call out some of the areas in which buses already have an advantage or could be improved:
- “Flexibility and customization are hallmarks of our age of innovation. That should favor buses.”
- “Silver Line buses have no Wi-Fi or style within, and little design outside. Even buses need a little magic to them.”
FULL STORY: Boston needs cooler buses
NRDC Releases 'Bus Priority Toolkit'
The kit, designed in collaboration with five U.S. cities, aims to provide lessons and tools for building a compelling case for bus priority and identifying measurable benefits.
How to Save Charlotte's Dying Bus System
The epidemic of falling ridership has struck no American city as hard as Charlotte, but there's plenty that could be done to recover.
Bus System Changes Draw Criticism in Delaware
Bus riders in Wilmington, Delaware are upset about changes to 13 bus routes near Rodney Square.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
DOT Awards 77% of BUILD Grants to Road Projects
Trump’s DOT is directing 87 percent of total grant dollars to states that backed the President in the last election.
What Zohran Mamdani’s Primary Win Means for the Tenant Movement
The mayoral candidate made a rent freeze central to his campaign. Here's how his supporters used in-person campaigning to clinch a victory, and what's ahead.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie