In Transit

Midstory

What could a car-less future look like? Or, at least, a less-car one? In Transit brings you dispatches from the cusp of a new era in Midwest public transportation. Join Midstory and host Janek Schaller as we travel from Detroit to Kansas City and everywhere in between to learn about innovative — and sometimes controversial — transit systems helping Middle America navigate what's next.

Episodes

  1. In Rural Illinois, Advocates Are Keeping the Faith in Public Transit

    09/07/2025

    In Rural Illinois, Advocates Are Keeping the Faith in Public Transit

    In this episode of In Transit — the second in a series on the complexities of funding for mass transit in Illinois — we head down to Springfield for the Rural Transit Assistance Center’s annual conference, where representatives from transit agencies from across the state have gathered to figure out how to demonstrate their worth for federal funding. For more, visit www.midstory.org/in-rural-illinois-advocates-are-keeping-the-faith-in-public-transit/

    10 min
  2. Could Consolidation Save Illinois Public Transit from a Major Derailment?

    21/05/2025

    Could Consolidation Save Illinois Public Transit from a Major Derailment?

    In this episode of In Transit, we travel to Illinois, where a proposed bill seeks to address public transportation inefficiencies and funding problems by combining Chicago’s transit agencies into a single entity. With ridership numbers yet to recover from the pandemic and the looming threat of a $770 million budget shortfall, government and transit officials need a solution. Could consolidation be the answer? Or would it create more issues than it solves? For more, visit www.midstory.org/minding-the-gap-on-the-st-louis-metrolink/could-consolidation-save-illinois-public-transit-from-a-major-derailment/

    9 min
  3. Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink

    27/02/2025

    Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink

    In this episode of In Transit, we travel to St. Louis, where the city’s light rail is undergoing a comprehensive security upgrade. Transit officials claim that the Secure Platform Plan will finally address the public safety concerns that have hampered the system for decades, but some riders wonder who these changes are really meant to serve. For more, visit www.midstory.org/minding-the-gap-on-the-st-louis-metrolink/

    10 min
  4. Bus Rapid Transit is Finally Getting Columbus Up to Speed

    28/01/2025

    Bus Rapid Transit is Finally Getting Columbus Up to Speed

    In this episode of In Transit, we head to Central Ohio, where voters recently approved a $6 billion proposal that will finally put the Midwestern city on the rapid transit map. For more, visit www.midstory.org/bus-rapid-transit-is-finally-getting-columbus-up-to-speed/

    10 min
  5. How the Kansas City Streetcar Is Trying to Rewrite History

    09/01/2025

    How the Kansas City Streetcar Is Trying to Rewrite History

    In this episode of In Transit, we visit a city tapping into its public transit past in an attempt to right some of the wrongs of decades of car-oriented development. For more, visit www.midstory.org/how-the-kansas-city-streetcar-is-trying-to-rewrite-history/

    10 min
  6. The Detroit People Mover and the Promise of Non-Essential Transit

    12/11/2024

    The Detroit People Mover and the Promise of Non-Essential Transit

    In this episode of In Transit, we visit a focus group organized by the Detroit Transportation Corporation to explore the promises, past and future, of the three-mile, single-loop train that is the Detroit People Mover. For more, visit www.midstory.org/circuit-breakers-the-detroit-people-mover-and-the-promise-of-non-essential-transit/

    7 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

What could a car-less future look like? Or, at least, a less-car one? In Transit brings you dispatches from the cusp of a new era in Midwest public transportation. Join Midstory and host Janek Schaller as we travel from Detroit to Kansas City and everywhere in between to learn about innovative — and sometimes controversial — transit systems helping Middle America navigate what's next.

Information

  • Channel
    Midstory
  • Creator
    Midstory
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Midstory
  • Show Website
    In Transit

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