Trains, Buses, People

The second edition of "Trains,Buses,People" is a comprehensive guide to US and Canadian transit systems, featuring updated information and new sections on inclusivity, network typologies, guideway types, station types, and fares. Author Christof Spieler, a transit advocate, provides an opinionated analysis of the best and worst systems, and how geography, politics, and history shape transit planning. The book is designed for non-experts to help evaluate transit proposals and understand what makes transit effective.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2021
Publisher: Island Press

Over the past few years, transit has been expanding and improving in some US and Canadian cities, despite funding and ridership challenges. How can we assess the advances and failures of our current systems to move forward strategically and wisely?

The first edition of Trains, Buses, People was dubbed "a transit wonks bible" and guided "a smarter conversation about urban transit" in the US. This second edition is fully updated and expanded to include eight Canadian cities and two new US cities (Indianapolis and San Juan, Puerto Rico).

In Trains, Buses, People, Second Edition: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, transit expert and "transportation hero" Christof Spieler provides a new section on inclusivity to help agencies understand how to welcome riders regardless of race, gender, income, or disability. Select cities include new maps overlaying transit and poverty data, and systems that have started construction since the first edition in 2018 have been added. Other new sections address network typologies, guideway types, station types, and fares.

Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun, accessible, and visually appealing Trains, Buses, People, Second Edition: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 49 metropolitan areas in the US and eight metropolitan areas in Canada that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. Spieler ranks.

He ranks the best and worst systems and he offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history have shaped them. He also explores the challenges and opportunities that cities face in building and operating transit systems, including the need for more funding, the impact of climate change, and the role of private sector partners.

Overall, Trains, Buses, People, Second Edition is a valuable resource for anyone interested in transit, urban planning, or transportation. It provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the current state of US and Canadian transit systems and offers practical guidance for policymakers, planners, and enthusiasts looking to build better and more sustainable transportation systems.

Weight: 906g
Dimension: 211 x 272 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642832136
Edition number: 2 Revised edition