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 [...]

During my Tuesday shift I was pleasantly surprised to hear a radio station manager speaking directly to listeners for an extended period of time about the state of the station. In the past, I’ve heard station managers speak during pledge drives, but pledge drives offer a relatively small subject of conversation when compared to an [...]

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 [...]

While sitting in the queue to pay the toll for the Bay Bridge Monday, I heard two great counterintuitive pieces on KQED.
The first was a thoughtful comparison between our quality of life now compared to the distant past. It is a true and important comparison and a nice reminder of how great our lives really [...]

I recently stumbled upon another great radio show: Radiolab.
Radiolab tries to explain things. Big things. Philosophy and science things.
Radiolab features a simple theme for each episode such as Love, Pop Music, or Deception. My initial frustration while listening was that they didn’t always get to the bottom of the theme. Why do we fall in [...]

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 [...]

A week ago the Chronicle reported on some promising preliminary recommendations based on findings from the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP).
These recommendations are great. In many ways they are in line with common sense: improve highly used lines using BRT, ditch under-used lines.
Aside from the frustrating fact that it took Muni 40 years to figure this [...]

Wow, it looks like Nat Ford might actually know how to run a municipal transit agency.
Let’s hope the Board of Supervisors gets off his back and lets him do it right.
Link

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 [...]

I’ll admit right up front: I’m not sure what Congress actually does at their meetings in Washington. But, what I glean from an ear half-tuned to NPR is that it’s usually a discussion on legislation germane to American citizen’s lives and within the general jurisdiction of the legislative branch of our government.
So then why are [...]