Transit Tangents

Louis & Chris
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The Podcast where we discuss all things transit. Join us as we dive into transit systems across the US, bring you interviews with experts and advocates, and engage in some fun and exciting challenges along the way.

  1. −3 d

    Brightline: Is it a Success?

    Brightline has been held up as proof that private passenger rail can work in the United States and right now it’s also a warning sign. We went to Florida to ride the Miami to Orlando train for ourselves, then pulled the thread on the business model behind the glossy stations and “high speed-ish” branding. What we found is a system with real momentum as well as a very real financial clock ticking in the background. We unpack how Brightline makes money, starting with the obvious: ticket revenue. From there, we get into the uncomfortable part: roughly $5.5 billion in debt, major infrastructure and station costs, and why even strong ridership growth can still leave a gap once operating expenses and interest payments hit. The result is a future shaped by hard options like bankruptcy, a bond restructuring, or a bailout. If you’re curious about Brightline, Florida rail, and what this means for high-speed rail in the US, listen now, subscribe for more transit deep dives, and share this with a friend who still thinks trains can’t work here. What do you think Brightline should do next? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  2. 7 juli

    A Miami Built For People: Transit Alliance Miami

    Miami traffic isn’t just annoying; it’s expensive, unsafe, and deeply political. We’re joined by Cathy Dos Santos from Transit Alliance Miami, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocating for a Miami built for people, not cars. We talk about what it really costs to own a car in Miami, why that burden lands hardest on service workers and families, and how better public transportation can unlock both freedom of mobility and economic mobility. Cathy breaks down the Streets for People campaign, a push for 20 practical mobility improvement projects that can connect neighborhoods faster than waiting for a mega-project. We get specific about what “low-hanging fruit” looks like: missing sidewalks, safer crossings, bus stop shelters, and bike infrastructure that helps people reach buses and Metrorail without risking their lives. One story hits hard: a mid-block crosswalk near schools in Hialeah that disappeared after a repave, leaving parents and students to navigate dangerous blocks every day. Subscribe for more conversations on transit, safer streets, and city life. And if this resonated, share the episode and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  3. 30 juni

    Transit Tour - Miami

    Miami’s transit network can feel like a highlight reel one minute and a facepalm the next. We start downtown at Government Center, hop the MetroMover, and then ride Metrorail south on the Green Line, where the elevated guideway, solid headways, and impressively clean cars immediately raise the bar. From there we test a local favorite, the Coral Gables Trolley, a free, frequent route that looks like a throwback but functions like serious everyday transit, with real riders and easy transfers.  The big swing is the new dedicated bus rapid transit corridor: train-like stations, crossing arms, clear signage, and air conditioning, all wrapped around a busway that should be one of the best BRT systems in the United States. Then the reality hits and the whole promise of “rapid” starts to feel like a marketing ploy. We break down how we believe service could be improved and how close this line is to being genuinely world-class.  Subscribe for more city-by-city transit field trips, share this with a friend who loves Miami, and leave a review with your take: what’s the single fix you’d make first to improve the rider experience? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  4. 23 juni

    Is Austin's Project Connect Off the Rails?

    Austin’s Project Connect is getting dragged in the headlines as “off the rails” and “one of the most expensive light rail projects in the country,” so we slow down and fact-check the story with the full timeline. We walk through what Austin voters actually approved in 2020 under Proposition A, why that plan was always based on early design assumptions, and what the new Austin Light Rail Phase One does and does not include. If you’ve been wondering how a 27-mile vision became a roughly 9.8-mile starter line, we lay out the tradeoffs. If you care about Austin public transit, light rail, CapMetro, and the future of mobility in a growing city, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend in Austin, and leave a review with your take: is Project Connect a derailment or a necessary foundation? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  5. 16 juni

    Orlando’s Star Plan: A Discussion with Sunrise Movement Orlando

    Orlando isn’t short on pavement, but it is short on fast, reliable public transportation and the cost shows up everywhere: rent, commute times, missed opportunities, and that feeling that the city is always one traffic jam away from chaos. From downtown Orlando, we sit down with Giancarlo and Enmanuel from Sunrise Movement Orlando to talk about the Star Plan, their push to make rapid transit a real priority in Orange County rather than a distant “someday” promise. If you care about Orlando public transportation, bus rapid transit, light rail, SunRail expansion, or reducing I-4 traffic, hit play, share this with someone local, and subscribe so you don’t miss what comes next. What corridor would change your life the most? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  6. 9 juni

    California Bullet Buses

    A 140 mph bus on California freeways sounds like a joke you would see in your news feed, until you realize Caltrans is seriously studying it. We dig into the “bullet bus” concept and what it would actually require to run intercity service at "aircraft-level speeds" on rubber tires, including dedicated freeway lanes, banked curves, ultra-durable pavement, and technology that likely leans on advanced driver assistance or autonomous systems. The promise is seductive: a San Francisco to Los Angeles trip in about 3 hours and 50 minutes, cutting a long drive nearly in half. Then we put that headline next to the elephant in the room: California high-speed rail. We recap the project’s history, ballooning cost estimates, and the ongoing funding fight that has turned rail into a political target. A big question hangs over the bullet bus idea: even if it is pitched as a supplement, does it create a “why not just do buses” argument that could undermine rail before the state finishes what it started? Subscribe for more transit deep dives, share this with a friend who loves (or hates) California megaprojects, and leave a review with your take: would you ride a 140 mph bullet bus? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  7. 2 juni

    Transit Tour - Orlando

    What happens when you try to live in the real Orlando without a car? We spend a full day riding Lynx buses from the airport to downtown, up to Winter Park, back through the Florida Mall Superstop, and finally to Disney Springs, testing what public transit in Orlando actually feels like on the ground. We talk honestly about the big constraint hanging over everything: half-hour bus frequencies on many routes, plus SunRail not running on weekends. When the schedule is that thin, every transfer becomes high-stakes, and a single missed connection can flip your whole plan. We also run into a classic reliability gut-punch, the “ghost bus,” and compare what different apps and printed signs claim versus what shows up at the curb. If you enjoy detailed transit travel and real-world city rankings, subscribe, share this with an Orlando friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  8. 26 maj

    The St. Pete SunRunner

    A beach trip shouldn’t require a car, so we put St. Petersburg’s Sunrunner Bus Rapid Transit to the test the only way that counts: we rode it, timed it, transferred on it, and paid attention to the small details that make people trust a transit line. Starting in downtown Tampa, we take the 100 bus to St. Pete and talk about how regional connections, routing, and frequency shape whether public transportation feels viable in daily life. We also dig into the Cross Bay Ferry’s comeback and why more options across Tampa Bay can change the whole equation. Once we’re on the Sunrunner BRT, the experience gets surprisingly solid fast. We look at station design, level boarding, real-time arrival signs, and simplified maps that make the system feel intuitive. We talk transit signal priority, dedicated bus lanes, and why corridor choice matters, including key stops like PSTA’s Grand Central Station and access to everyday destinations. For a 10-mile line built for roughly $43 to $45 million, Sunrunner raises a big question for cities across Florida and the United States: how much better could bus networks be if we focused on speed, frequency, and clarity instead of overbuilding or under-delivering? Subscribe for more from our Florida series, share this with a friend who debates bus lanes, and leave a review if you want more on-the-ground transit breakdowns. What should cities do to keep BRT fast once it’s built? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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The Podcast where we discuss all things transit. Join us as we dive into transit systems across the US, bring you interviews with experts and advocates, and engage in some fun and exciting challenges along the way.

Information

  • Skapad av
    Louis & Chris
  • Aktiva år
    2024 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    134
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Transit Tangents
  • Programmets webbplats
    Transit Tangents

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