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Transit Tangents

Louis & Chris

The Podcast where we discuss all things transit. Join us as we dive into transit systems across the US, bring you interviews with experts and advocates, and engage in some fun and exciting challenges along the way.

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 26 min
  • English

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Episodes 24

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  • S3 · E122
    April 28 · 28 min

    World Cup Transit Price Gouging

    $150 to take the train to a World Cup match is the kind of headline that makes you do a double take. We dig into the growing fight over World Cup 2026 public transit pricing and why some US host regions seem ready to treat trains and buses like a luxury upsell instead of the simplest way to move tens of thousands of people safely and fast. We start in Boston, where Gillette Stadium already has MBTA commuter rail service for Patriots games, then look at what changes when FIFA comes to town: bigger crowds, less parking due to fan zones and media, and a major push to move up to 20,000 riders per match. From there we get into the $80 fare proposal, the $35 million level-boarding platform expansion, and the bigger question of what counts as long-term transit infrastructure versus a temporary tournament expense. Then we head to the New York City area where matches at MetLife Stadium rely heavily on New Jersey Transit. The numbers are wild: a familiar $12.90 game-day trip turns into a $150 round-trip ticket for World Cup service, plus an $80 bus that still sits in traffic. We talk fairness for local fans, congestion and traffic impacts, and the awkward reality that regions can earn massive new tax revenue from World Cup tourism while still asking everyday riders to foot the bill at the fare gates. We close with brighter examples like Philadelphia SEPTA’s sponsorship approach and Kansas City’s $50 month-long regional pass and free airport coach, plus what these ideas reveal about better event transportation policy. If you like deep dives on public transit, World Cup travel logistics, and how cities can move crowds without punishing riders, subscribe, share the show, and leave a review. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  • S3 · E121
    April 21 · 30 min

    Colorado Front Range Regional Rail

    Colorado’s Front Range is one of the most obvious “should have a train” corridors in the United States, yet the Denver to Boulder to Fort Collins connection has stalled for decades. We dig into what’s changing and why a new Front Range passenger rail push is suddenly picking up real momentum, including the practical realities that have blocked progress before: freight railroad ownership, dispatching priorities, and the price of buying access to the BNSF corridor. We walk through the current proposal for the Colorado Connector “CoCo,” focusing on the most likely phase one starter service between Denver and Fort Collins with intermediate stops like Boulder, Longmont, and Loveland. We get specific on the numbers, the plan to launch with just three daily round trips, and the pros and cons of treating rail as a pilot service. Is limited frequency a smart way to control costs and prove demand, or does it make the train too hard to use compared to a 40-minute drive? Subscribe for more deep dives on transit, share this with someone stuck on I‑25, and leave a review telling us where you land: invest in rail now, or scale what’s already working on the bus network? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  • S3 · E120
    April 14 · 21 min

    The Rio Grande Plan: Salt Lake City

    A historic train station sits near the heart of Salt Lake City, but many riders still get dropped on the edge of downtown and told to transfer and walk through empty industrial blocks. That disconnect is at the center of our conversation with civil engineer Christian Linhart, one of the voices behind the Rio Grande Plan, a citizen-led proposal to rework how trains move through downtown and how the city welcomes people arriving by rail. We dig into the plan’s three big moves: build a grade-separated rail corridor through downtown (supporters argue railroad crossings and fast trains do not belong in a major city center), bring service back to the Rio Grande Depot as the main downtown train station, and clear space for redevelopment by removing rail yards that currently wall off the west side. Along the way we talk about why the current setup struggles for comfort and dignity, how freight trains can snarl intersections, and how fixing the rail network could also help address Salt Lake City’s long-running East-West divide. If you care about Salt Lake City transit, downtown redevelopment, commuter rail, or better station access, listen through to the end and get involved. Subscribe, share this with a friend who rides trains, and leave a review with your biggest question about the Rio Grande Depot and the future of rail downtown. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  • S3 · E119
    April 7 · 26 min

    CalTrain Electrification - How's It Doing?

    Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project is the kind of US transit upgrade we desperately need more of: a 51-mile modernization between San Francisco and San Jose that turns a solid but peak-focused commuter rail line into something closer to all-day regional rail. We walk through what changed, what it cost, and why the results matter for anyone who cares about public transportation, climate goals, and practical mobility in the Bay Area. We get specific about the infrastructure and operations, not just the headline “electric trains.” New electric multiple units accelerate and stop faster, which cuts running time and makes schedules easier to keep. That performance unlocks more frequent service and a simpler service pattern, with local SF to San Jose time dropping from about 100 minutes to 77 minutes and planned express trips coming in under an hour. We also dig into the real rider experience upgrades, from Wi Fi and power outlets to better accessibility and clearer passenger information. After the first full year of electrified operations, Caltrain reached 9.1 million trips in FY2025, up 47% from the year before. The weekend story is the standout: service doubles from 32 to 66 trains per day and weekend ridership climbs to 136% of pre-pandemic levels, showing how frequency and “show up and go” service can create demand without adding new stations. If you like deep dives on transit modernization, electric rail, and ridership data that actually tells a story, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes