Transit Tangents

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-mil...

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...