Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

This week we're joined once again by Christof Spieler who recently wrote a new book, "Trains, Buses, People." Christof talks about how transit isn't a mystery and we all know what makes it work. But ultimately we're not having the right conversations. We also review Christof's time on the Houston Metro board and why it’s important to have people who ride the bus and think about it all the time as a part of the agency discussion.

Also, if you're in New York next month, check us out at the Brooklyn Podcast Festival on Jan. 12.  To learn more and get tickets click here.  The Smart Cities series includes episodes from Sidewalk Labs, CityLab, and us here at Talking Headways.  Join us!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

When the Government Says You’re ‘Weaponizing’ Your Car

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have been brutalizing and killing people who they perceive as threats. Is mass automobility multiplying their pretext to do it?

January 12, 2026

Should Monday’s Headlines Carry a Carrot or a Stick?

Human beings generally don't like being forced to do anything, so Grist wonders whether policies like car bans could actually be counterproductive?

January 12, 2026

Chicago Explores Black Perspectives on Public Transit

"We're not going to fix decades of inequitable investment in one year, and things like the high-frequency bus network and the Red Line Extension are really important, but the work isn't done."

January 9, 2026

Confirmed: Non-Driving Infrastructure Creates ‘Induced Demand,’ Too

Widening a highway to cure congestion is like losing weight by buying bigger pants — but thanks to the same principle of "induced demand," adding bike paths and train lines to cure climate actually works.

January 9, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Are Unsustainably Expensive

To paraphrase former New York City mayoral candidate Jimmy McMillan, the car payment is too damn high.

January 9, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: Poster Sessions at Mpact in Portland

Young professionals discuss the work they’ve been doing including designing new transportation hubs, rethinking parking and improving buses.

January 8, 2026
See all posts