Yesterday I posted some data we were playing with, suggesting that Canadian cities have consistently higher transit ridership than similar US ones. Commenter Matt pointed me to his own charts on the subject, which are based on Paul Mees’s database. One of Matt’s charts makes use of citywide average density, a stat to which I’m allergic for reasons explained here and here. But here’s the other one. Continue Reading →
Author Archive | Jarrett
Quote of the Week: Manhattan as “Stockyard”
[T]he comforts of the [Manhattan’s] rich still depend on the abundance of its poor, the municipal wealth and well-being as unevenly distributed as in the good old days of the Gilded Age. When seen at a height or a distance, from across the Hudson River or from the roof of Rockefeller Center, Manhattan meets the definitions of the sublime. At ground level Manhattan is a stockyard, the narrow streets littered with debris and laid out in the manner of cattle chutes, the tenements and storefronts uniformly fitted to fit the framework of a factory or a warehouse.
— Lewis Lapham, “City Light”, Lapham’s Quarterly, 7 October 2010 Continue Reading →
Request for Information: Canadian Ridership (Updated)
Some colleagues and I have lately had occasion to compare public transit performance in young metro areas of 1-3 million, across North America and Australasia, and we’ve been turning up draft charts like this one (click to enlarge): Continue Reading →
Should I Call Myself a “Transit Rider”?
Is there anything wrong with calling a group of people “transit users” or “riders”? Is there anything wrong with calling yourself such a thing? Continue Reading →
Montréal: More on the New Frequent Network
Andy Riga of the Montreal Gazette interviewed me on Frequent Network branding, in response to the roll out of such a brand by their local transit agency, the STM. Continue Reading →
On Bus Lanes, Britain Can Learn from Los Angeles
The bus lane on the M4 motorway into London is under attack by the new Conservative/LDP government. Some HT readers wonder if this is a fatal flaw of all forms of BRT that rely on highway bus lanes. The BBC tells the story: Continue Reading →
Can We Make Density Make Sense?
When commentators argue about the importance of density to public transit, it’s common to hear a range of density figures thrown around. These figures are almost always averages over a large area, and as I argued on my recent post on the perils of average density, averages are simply useless for describing the kind of density that determines public transit outcomes. Continue Reading →
The Resonance of City Names: What is “San Francisco?”
In a fine think-piece on “golden ages” of urban creativity, Aaron Renn of the Urbanophile mentions San Francisco as a place that isn’t having one: Continue Reading →
Avoiding Car-Centered Language: A Directive
In 1996, the City Administrator of West Palm Beach, Florida, Michael J. Wright, issued a directive to his staff on how to avoid biased language in the descriptions of transportation investments and policies. It’s four pages, sharply written, and may well be the smartest bureaucratic directive you’ll ever read. (Thanks to Peter Bilton at the Vorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers for pointing it out.) Continue Reading →
If You Mean “Car,” Say “Car”
Here’s a simple thing that anyone can do to improve the prospects of sustainable transportation. When you hear a phrase that makes sense only from behind the wheel of a car, notice it, point it out, and don’t get drawn into saying it yourself. Continue Reading →