California Bullet Buses
From Transit Tangents by Louis & Chris
June 9, 2026 · 28 min · Season 3 · Episode 128
About this episode
The episode explores the concept of high-speed bus travel in California and the requirements for its implementation.
A 140 mph bus on California freeways sounds like a joke you would see in your news feed, until you realize Caltrans is seriously studying it. We dig into the “bullet bus” concept and what it would actually require to run intercity service at "aircraft-level speeds" on rubber tires, including dedicated freeway lanes, banked curves, ultra-durable pavement, and technology that likely leans on advanced driver assistance or autonomous systems. The promise is seductive: a San Francisco to Los Angel...
People in this episode
Hosts: Louis, Chris
Topics covered
- transportation
- technology
- infrastructure
- intercity travel
- California
Keywords
- bullet bus
- Caltrans
- high-speed travel
- intercity service
- advanced driver assistance
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Caltrans
Places: California, San Francisco, Los Angeles
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