Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit

With the population density of cities increasing and the threat of climate change pending, the need to curb carbon emissions demands a change. Getting vehicles off the road is just one way of approaching this problem, but such a fix requires a new generation of plans for successful urban transit. This atlas is filled with illustrations of maps outlining transit routes in major US cities along with photos of the rail, trolley, and pedestrian lanes and graphically displays successful planning along with civic failures. In this edifying publication, Christof Spieler, who served on the board of directors of Houston METRO, runs through the history of transit, discusses the basics of successful transit, reviews the best and the worst transit systems, and finally examines the transit patterns in 47 of the most populated American cities. Included among the metro areas by population are the cities of New York, famous for its transit difficulties; Houston, with its successful planning; and even Sacramento, noted for developing a light rail to support downtown jobs. Designing both efficient and effective transportation for the public has become a conundrum for city planners and politicians. It is crucial for the lay public–those dependent on these services–to become aware of the issues and possibilities for change. This volume serves as an awakening guide to planning both feasible and practical public-transit systems.