Transit Tangents

Starting at Notre Dame and ending at the Eiffel Tower sounds like a classic Paris day. In between, we set a challenge: cross the city using only public transit and discover what makes a system feel truly effortless. The result is a rapid tour through metros, trams, the RER, buses, bike share, and even the Montmartre funicular—from Châtelet’s maze to La Défense and Saint-Lazare—highlighting lessons on frequency, fares, automation, and street design. With a look at Line 14 and the sweeping Gran...

We travel to the edge of Paris to ride a new five-station urban gondola that extends Metro Line 8, showing how aerial transit can beat ground constraints, cut commute times, and invite better station design. Along the way, we talk with David Rambert, Project Manager for Architecture and BIM Manager at Atelier Schall, the agency responsible for the C1 station designs. He gives us more insight about accessibility, costs, and why gondolas fit this corridor. • reasons a gondola beats a rail exte...

Choosing your World Cup city could be the difference between a breezy, car-free celebration and a stressful shuttle hunt. We break down all 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico with one goal in mind: how easily can a traveler get from the airport to the stadium and still enjoy the city’s best neighborhoods, food, and culture without relying on a car. Our criteria are simple and traveler-focused—airport rail links, direct stadium access, real-world frequency, and the bro...

We ride the Thuringian Waldbahn from Gotha through forest and small towns, tracing its history and design while asking why systems like this are rare elsewhere. Along the way we test timed transfers, swap notes on fares, and weigh what rural mobility could look like in the US. • route overview from Gotha to Waltershausen, Friedrichroda and Bad Tabarz • single track operations with passing loops • history from 1894 urban tram to 1929 Waldbahn • fare simplicity with the Deutschlandticket • reg...

A celebratory Silver Line opening collides with city referendums to leave DART, putting service, funding, and future upgrades at risk. We weigh the politics and the human impact, and lay out what residents can do before the 2026 votes. • Silver Line ridership settling into expectations • What Plano currently receives from DART • Land use gaps around stations and jobs • Why sales tax capture is driving exit talk • Debt payoff timelines if cities leave • System impacts of losing Plano and Irvi...

We examine whether night trains can work in the United States by starting with a real sleeper ride from Zurich to Leipzig and then mapping routes where overnight service fits naturally. Dreamstar’s proposed LA–SF sleeper gets a reality check, while Amtrak’s current options and price gaps are unpacked with practical fixes. • First‑hand review of ÖBB Nightjet Zurich to Leipzig • Differences between compartments and open‑berth formats • Snapshot of U.S. sleeper history and Pullman luxury • Amtr...

We mark 100 straight weeks by revisiting our 2025 transit list and tracking which projects delivered results. Chicago’s frequent buses, NYC’s congestion pricing, LA’s push for speed and access, and new lines in Dallas and Honolulu show how funding, design, and frequency reshape cities. • Chicago launches 10-minute bus corridors and upgrades Red and Purple stations • Illinois passes SB 211 for governance reform and $1.5bn annual transit funding • NYC congestion pricing raises hundreds of mill...