Transportopia: Public Transport Stories & Ideas

This expanded bonus edition of Transportopia New and Views reports from The American Public Transportation Association's TRANSFORM Conference in Chicago, highlighting innovation across public transportation, including automated rail, community-focused station activations in Honolulu, and new on-demand electric shuttles.
Highlights include Cara Mazzei's talk on building ridership for Honolulu’s Skyline, scenes from the Innovation Summit, and a look at Argo’s small electric bus as a first/last-mile solution. Check out more from the conference in the coming weeks and on the Transportopia Patreon page. transportopia.org/patreon
Show Notes:
APTA
Skyline video
Skyline Home Page
Metro Magazine: APTA 2026 TRANSform & EXPO Kicks Off in Chicago
Hitachi Rail: Skyline first anniversary
IEEE Hawaii WIE: Behind the Scenes at Hitachi Rail Honolulu

Recorded at the American Public Transportation Association's TRANSform Expo and conference in Chicago, this episode features Carrie Schindler, San Bernadino County Transportation Authority's executive director, discussing ZEMU — a Stadler-built hydrogen fuel cell train now running on Metrolink's Arrow Line between San Bernardino and Redlands. ZEMU is the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in North America built to FRA standards.
The conversation covers why SBCTA chose hydrogen, the partnerships and safety work needed to meet federal rules, fueling and maintenance challenges, community reaction, costs of being first, and what the California order of additional hydrogen trains could mean for the future of rail.
Show Notes
SBCTA ZEMU web site: https://www.gosbcta.com/project/zero-emission-multiple-unit-zemu/
Metrolink Arrow Service: https://metrolinktrains.com/rider-info/arrow/
 
 

In this bonus New and Views episode we cover Amtrak's new Airo trainsets debuting on the Cascades route, Sound Transit's early opening of Pinehurst Station, Brightline's Chapter 11 filing despite rising ridership, Waymo's transit-linked credit in the Bay Area, and New York City's "Stripehog" truck removing old paint to speed bus and bike lane projects.
The episode features launch-day interviews, details on Airo's passenger amenities, the financing issues behind Brightline, and how street redesigns and new tools are improving transit service. Also, we're pleased to announce our new Patreon page - and you can become a member to support our work. Members get perks and merch. Check it out at www.transportopia.org/patreon
Show Notes: 
Amtrak Airo debuts on the Cascades: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/09/a-new-era-for-amtrak-cascades-airo-fleet-debuts-sept-30/
Sound Transit opens Pinehurst Station: https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/pinehurst-station-will-open-september-30
Brightline files for Chapter 11: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2026/09/25/886892.htm
Waymo Transit Rewards: https://sf.streetsblog.org/2026/09/24/advocates-skeptical-about-waymos-transit-rewards-program
NYC's Stripe Hog: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/nyregion/road-cleaning-stripe-hog-nyc.html

Transportopia Host Rick L'Amie talks with Sam Sargent of VTA in Santa Clara County California about how transit agencies can make the business case for public transportation: who to persuade, what arguments work, and how to close the gap between people believing transit is good and actually supporting it.
The conversation covers four audiences (taxpayers who never ride, drivers stuck in traffic, riders weighing time and autonomy, and citywide observers), VTA’s unique role, the Transit Narrative Project findings, and practical strategies like frequency, customer experience, and making transit visible and trustworthy.
Show Notes:
The Transit Narrative Project
VTA - Valley Transportation Authority
 

Transportopia host Rick L'Amie plays an encore of his favorite episode: a conversation with his daughter Lauren, a ten-year New York resident and daily subway rider. They ride the G and 7 trains, discuss OMNY replacing the MetroCard, quirks of the G, pandemic life, MTA strengths and frustrations, and the realities of car-free living.
Lauren’s simple advice — take the train — anchors a broader reflection on transit as the city’s heartbeat, schlep culture, and why public transportation must work for everyone.

This Bonus News and Views episode covers three major Chicago transit stories: the CTA’s expansion of its frequent bus network to increase ridership and reduce wait times, a $10 million pilot deploying non-law enforcement crisis specialists on rail lines to address homelessness and mental health crises, and the creation of a new regional transit authority (NITA) that consolidates CTA, Metra, and Pace governance.
We explain why frequency is driving ridership, how non-police responders fit into national safety trends, and what the governance change could mean for coordination across the region.
Show Notes: 
Story 1: Frequent Network expansion
CTA Bolsters Frequent Network with Four Additional Routes by End of 2026 — Chicago Transit Authority press release, August 18, 2026
Transport Chicago's "Year of the Bus" panel discussed CTA service upgrades that contributed to increased ridership — Streetsblog Chicago
Metro Bus Network Redesign, Houston — NACTO
Transit Ridership Falling Everywhere — But Not in Cities With Redesigned Bus Networks — Streetsblog USA (Houston and Seattle comparison)
Story 2: Crisis intervention pilot
CTA deploying violence interrupters, mental health clinicians on trains this fall — Chicago Sun-Times
CTA Board Approves Slate of Social Service Outreach Efforts Focused on Violence Intervention, Homelessness — WTTW News
Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation — National Academies Press (BART, SEPTA, MARTA program details)
MTA Keeps Cops At Fore Of Homeless Response As Other Transit Systems Embrace Social Services — Patch (LA Metro and NYC MTA comparison)
Story 3: Northern Illinois Transit Authority transition
CTA Board Approves Slate of Social Service Outreach Efforts Focused on Violence Intervention, Homelessness — WTTW News

In this episode Rick L'Amie interviews Indigo Rosenberg of San Francisco Transit Riders about Eyes on Board, a live map and anonymous survey documenting harassment on public transit.
The project collects location, time, route, and short descriptions while offering an educational campaign to define harassment and suggest bystander responses.
The conversation shows how lived experiences limit mobility, explains why reporting matters, and urges listeners to report incidents to help reclaim safer, more walkable cities.
Show Notes:
Eyes on Board website: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8660b07fafbd40e98ae67e0f54fff8f3
Streetsblog SF article - Guest Post: Documenting Harassment on Public Transit:
https://sf.streetsblog.org/2026/08/12/guest-post-documenting-harassment-on-public-transit?utm_source=streetsblog-usa.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=wednesday-8217-s-streetsblog-newsletter
Eyes on Board: Documenting Harassment and Impaired Mobility - Medium:
https://medium.com/san-francisco-transit-riders/eyes-on-board-documenting-harassment-and-impaired-mobility-fdb563083fc9
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/eyesonboard.sf?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
 
 

In this episode of Transportopia News and views, our bonus episode between full programs: Congress failed to renew $38.6 billion in annual transportation advance appropriations, while critics accuse the administration of sitting on another $1.9 billion in transit funds. The Transportation Secretary has moved to remove bike lanes from federal safety guidance and seek funding limits, despite research showing protected bike lanes improve safety and don’t necessarily worsen congestion.
We also visit Kansas City, where crews are spraying streetcar tracks to prevent heat warping, and examine rising pedestrian fatalities and a new planning tool that maps walkability to transit. The episode ties these stories together around the strain on large systems and the smaller, human-scale fixes that can help.
Show Notes
Stopgap bill lets $38.6B in transportation funding lapse - https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/senate-government-funding-shutdown-stopgap
   also: https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/08/06/us-senate-stopgap-fails-to-renew-more-than-38b-a-year-in-state-transportation-funding/
Democrats accuse FTA/OMB of stonewalling transit grants - https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4248also the letter: https://larsen.house.gov/UploadedFiles/2026-08-11_LTR_to_Admin_on_CIG_Grants_Oversight_FINAL.pdf
Duffy's bike lane push, and the data against it - https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/07/17/trump-dei-bike-lanes-sean-duffy-fhwa-road-diets-speed-cameras
   also: https://www.fastcompany.com/91581060/dei-bike-lanes
Kansas City waters down its streetcar tracks - https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/08/12/kc-streetcar-water-trucks-extreme-heat
World Pedestrian Day - global road safety data - https://www.who.int/news/item/20-07-2026-road-deaths-fall-by-21--globally-but-stronger-action-is-needed-to-save-lives
   ITDP Atlas of Sustainable City Transport - https://itdp.org/publication/walkability-tool/
Indigo Rosenberg's new Eyes on Board piece  https://sf.streetsblog.org/2026/08/12/guest-post-documenting-harassment-on-public-transit

Design Rules Company co-founders Kirill Safin and Emily Perkins Rock talk about Metroboard, a live moving subway map that began when a new LA Metro station changed how they experienced the city. They describe the makers’ journey from aerospace to Kickstarter success, building a product that blends design, real-time transit data, and emotional connections to place.
The episode covers Metroboard’s origins, customer stories, related projects like transit trading cards and City Sounds, and the company’s broader mission to create physical objects that help people notice and celebrate the movement and life of cities. Want your own Metroboard? We have them available in the new Transportopia store! Check it out! https://www.transportopia.org/shop
Show Notes:
The Design Rules Company: https://www.designrules.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designrulesco/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@designrulesco
X: https://x.com/designrulescoht
 

Transportopia News and Views, our bonus episode between full shows, covers a federal shift in bus funding that now favors low-emission buses over zero-emission models and Sacramento's decision to study bus rapid transit to the airport instead of costly light rail.
Host Rick L'Amie also examines transit agencies converting station land into housing, Oklahoma City's push for a transit sales tax before congestion worsens, and a playful New York subway newsstand run by a comedian.
Across these stories you'll hear how practical funding changes, cost-driven pivots, land-use strategies, and creative community projects are reshaping public transit.
Show Notes:
1. FTA bus grant NOFO - https://www.masstransitmag.com/bus/vehicles/news/55394325/federal-transit-administration-fta-fta-issues-nofo-for-610-million-in-bus-grant-funding
Sacramento BRT to airport - https://www.masstransitmag.com/management/article/55394625/sacramento-regional-transit-sacrt-sacrt-receives-funding-to-examine-brt-alternative-to-sacramento-international-airport   also (national BRT-over-rail trend): https://www.constructiondive.com/news/transit-projects-opening-2026/809814/
Transit agencies as housing partners - https://www.metro-magazine.com/digital-cover-features/what-transit-oriented-development-means-for-the-future-of-public-transportation
Oklahoma City transit sales tax - https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/08/03/oklahoma-city-is-taking-transit-seriously-which-is-what-booming-regions-should-do
Subway newsstand (Al Mullen) - https://gothamist.com/news/just-a-pure-weird-moment-art-project-takes-over-manhattan-subway-kiosk
also: https://www.amny.com/news/artists-repens-west-4-st-subway-newsstand/
Next week's episode features the founders of Design Rules Company, the creative geniuses behind the Metroboard subway wall art - https://www.designrules.co/