SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

Chapter 9: Public Transit

Key Quotes

“Transit in North America...is an afterthought, an appendage to a dysfunctional auto-based transportation system.” — Click to Tweet

“If public transit is to have a real purpose it can fulfill, it must separate itself from the underlying auto-based system and stand on its own as the primary wealth accelerator for maturing urban areas.” — Click to Tweet

“The proper role of transit is as a wealth accelerator for local communities.” — Click to Tweet

“The purpose of investments in transit is to support broad-based wealth creation within a city. Unlike auto-based transportation investments, transit can actually deliver on that purpose.” — Click to Tweet

“...we best support the poor by making public transit an indispensable mechanism for building wealth within the community.” — Click to Tweet

Dwight Street (Springfield, Massachusetts)

Union Station (Springfield, Massachusetts)

“Despite the desolation that surrounds, Springfield Union Station is a gorgeous building, and I am happy for Springfield that it has been restored and put to good use.” — from Confessions of a Recovering Engineer

Case Study: Houston, Texas

Houston’s Groundbreaking Transit System

Historically, Houston wasn’t a city known for its public transit. But several years ago Houston reimagined its bus system. This involved a comprehensive examination of the whole network and a redesign that would maximize ridership and improve frequency, while keeping costs relatively stable. — Read more at Strong Towns

Houston: Transit, Reimagined

“The exciting thing is not just the massive growth in frequent services proposed, evident above, but the shape that they'll take. The core idea of the new network is the high-frequency grid, designed to enable anywhere to anywhere travel with a single fast connection. Everywhere on the proposed network of red lines, that kind of easy access will be possible.” — Jarrett Walker at Human Transit