A recent episode of Russ Roberts’ EconTalk podcast featured a wonderful intersection of interests: economics, public policy and public transit.
One of Russ’ academia friends, economist Michael Munger, speaks at length on the program about the public transportation system quality in Santiago, Chile before and after nationalization of their bus network.
Prior to 2007 Santiago’s surface transit [...]

Online ad sales reps enjoy using the term “engagement” in their sales pitches. “OurSite.com’s users are highly engaged with our content, and so shall they be with your ads!”
What does “engagement” really mean? Some part is puffery — it’s an abstract term. Anyone can claim they have engaging content, but it’s hard to measure. But, [...]

The Chronicle reported on Mayor Newsom’s idea to turn a good portion of the Embarcadero into a pedestrian-only safe zone during certain times of the weekend. This is similar to the City’s current closing of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to vehicular traffic on weekends.
Is this a good idea? Yes, in spirit, but no [...]

NPR’s Morning Edition recently featured an excellent two part series on the aggregate effects of our living decisions on the environment.
The stories hit hard from the angle that suburbia increases per capita carbon footprint while denser, urban living offers significantly lower per capita carbon footprint. Yes!
Here’s the underlying important point: living in denser areas can [...]

Google VP Marissa Mayer is one of the primary financial supporters funding a new traffic light at 3rd and Stevenson Streets so she can get out of her parking facility more easily.
Is this the sort of example ‘green-washed‘ Google wants to set? Is this appropriate?
Granted, it’s nearly impossible to continue on Stevenson across 3rd Street [...]

On my ‘to write’ list is a manifesto of how to fix Muni. Lay out what’s wrong. Lay out what we need to do to fix it.
Dave Snyder of SPUR beat me to the punch. I met Dave last spring when I served under his leadership with a group of volunteers to pitch for approval [...]

Here’s a great interview with Columbia University professor of management William Dugan about why brainstorming doesn’t always serve our needs as well as it could. I echo some of his thoughts from my personal experience below.
Surely you’ve had these thoughts in meetings. I’ve been guilty of it, both in the Vader role (above) and in [...]

I went to the library this evening to check out a great book about the history of Muni. Unfortunately, it is out of print and is now reference material. I couldn’t take it with me.
I consumed the first 30 pages to the infrequent din of library staff repeatedly announcing imminent closing. 30 minutes, 15 minutes, [...]

Do you like watching bloody transit carnage unfold? You’re in luck, here’s a doozy.
Check out these fantastic series of posts on the proposed Central Subway in San Francisco.
(Primer for the uninitiated: a proposal is on deck to extend the T-Third MUNI Metro line from the Cal Train station at 4th and King underground via 4th [...]

Inflated federal funding for the capital costs of transit projects brings about wasted spending, poor planning and poor service for transit riders in the United States.