GO NY GO NY GO

This specific bus stop is always getting the deluxe treatment

We're hiring a postdoc to push a moonshot that mixes world-modeling, unsupervised RL, and autonomy. More details here, and please help us get the word out! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Do good works for the Rebbe’s return!

From 1980–2022, NYC urban area added ~700k housing units near rail stations. Other top performers on this front were DC, LA, SF & Chicago. Despite their rail networks, the Dallas, Miami & Atlanta areas added 5% or less of their housing in rail-adjacent neighborhood. www.urban.org/urban-wire/t...

Cities from New York to Seattle to Los Angeles say they want faster buses. But what does it actually take to make that happen? @egoldwyn.bsky.social & @chittimarco.bsky.social examine the strategies cities around the world use to improve speed and reliability. www.vitalcitynyc.org/bus-speed-tr...

We wrote up a quick overview of the Transit Priority Atlas, highlighting @chittimarco.bsky.social’s great research for @vitalcitynyc.bsky.social. Check it out: www.vitalcitynyc.org/bus-speed-tr...

Maryland transit planners are considering building the Baltimore Red Line as BRT, rather than light rail. 2 years after Gov Moore endorsed project as rail. It was previously cancelled in 2015. Red Line suffers from: —Paralysis by analysis —Lack of long term commitment —Rising costs

A little personal news. Next August, I will join the Urban Planning school of the Université de Montréal as an assistant professor. Petite nouvelle. À partir de août, je vais rejoindre l'école d'urbanisme et d'architecture de paysage de l'UdeM en tant que professeur adjoint.

Meanwhile, Portland Tri-Met is making actual cuts to service after voters trounced a statewide transpo tax. www.transittalent.com/articles/ind...

The Transit Costs Project animating mission was this: How do we build more transit infrastructure for every dollar spent? Clearly transit is not the only area where this can have a transformative effect. Look forward to following this!

NYC platform fence cost: 100k usd Toronto platform fence cost: 2m cad NYC platforms 50-150 ft longer What are we doing? #topoli

Paris’ RER is a perfect example of solving phone call problems. Instead of duplicating infrastructure because different agencies controlled it, Paris made sharing work. It saved a fortune and created Europe’s most impressive regional rail network. open.substack.com/pub/infrasto...

Love some light rail scrutiny. Seattle, welcome Austin to the club: www.texastribune.org/2026/05/21/a...

Wednesday's Most Read # 1 - Transit Priority Atlas link.theoverheadwire.com/fw79r Transit Costs Project @chittimarco.bsky.social @egoldwyn.bsky.social

Love a deep dive on sound transit! Seems clear that a cost benefit prioritization is critical to resolving political challenges. There’s little incentive for board members to adopt this approach, but otherwise more $$$ gets spent on studies w/o making a decision: www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

“Guys, no more trains,” one officer said. “You’re going to have to take the subway or an Uber, my friend.” We hung out after midnight in Grand Central Madison — and you better believe some people had no clue a strike was coming. NEW story in @thecity.nyc www.thecity.nyc/2026/05/16/l...

Looks like the LIRR deal will come down to the wire. Management and unions still trading offers, with a midnight deadline looming. Here's the latest on what a strike could mean: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/n...

Has anyone ever documented all of the work rules that govern LIRR, MetroNorth, NYCT, and MTA Bus? Enjoyed this @stefanoschen.bsky.social joint re: impending LIRR strike: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/n...

Catch @chittimarco.bsky.social launch our new Transit Priority Atlas (TPA) on friday at 9am in Brooklyn. You know about Offset Bus Lanes and Queue Jumps but what do you know about Transit Modal Filters and Auckland's bus-speed curve? luma.com/rf2ehtyu

Traffic lights are down, but we have a fix!

I've decided to start writing a newsletter. Its name is Infrastory, which I've long thought captures what I focus on. It's a portmanteau of infrastructure and history, but it's also about telling the story beneath ("infra") the surface. You can find & subscribe at infrastory.substack.com

It's happening. On Friday, 5/15, we are soft-launching our Transit Priority Atlas 1.0 website. Come join us in person at 370 Jay Street to explore this knowledge-sharing tool and get lost in circulation planning layouts and intersection management strategies for better on-street transit.

Join us on 5/15 at 9am when @chittimarco.bsky.social debuts the new Transit Priority Atlas. Marco collected surface transit operating data for 32 global cities & documented interventions--bus lanes, tsp, etc--so we can combine to achieve better outcomes & more ridership: luma.com/rf2ehtyu

We could fund a year of free buses with these. Run it back when the Mets win 11 in a row and expedite the containerization program.

Very excited to be talking transportation and abundance at @nyulaw.bsky.social this Thursday. Many thanks to Profs. Clay Gillette (Law) and @egoldwyn.bsky.social (Marron) for moderating and to the NYU Law Real Estate & Urban Policy Forum for bringing us all together!

anyone know how much Caltrain paid for dual level doors on its rolling stock order? I found other bilevel EMU rolling stock orders, without dual doors, but wondered if anyone ever came across something either definitive or suggestive re: costs cc: @adinalevin.bsky.social & @calelectricrail.org

excellent, comprehensive examination into Japan's railway successes by @borners.bsky.social ky.social and @carto-graph.bsky.social. was flattered they linked to a couple of my Japan railway history posts on Substack to reinforce their many good points worksinprogress.co/issue/why-ja...

Talking A Better Billion at NYU law school tomorrow at 1pm. I hear there will be cookies, in addition to @27a01.bsky.social, @ndhapple.bsky.social, and @eensari.bsky.social. Info here: www.law.nyu.edu/events/bette...

My article with @carto-graph.bsky.social on Japanese private railways is out. Rule of thumb, only privatise railways as much as you privatise parking. worksinprogress.co/issue/why-ja...

“...Reinvent Albany, the Partnership for New York, the Regional Plan Association, the Citizens Budget Commission, the Effective Transit Alliance and NYU’s Marron Institute voiced their opposition to a pair of bills working their way through Albany." www.nydailynews.com/2026/04/01/g...

New Yorkers, join us in the first ever Mayor’s Municipal Madness: a competition of city fixes where everyone wins. Pick your fix and vote here: nyc.gov/madness

the top list of most searched words at Merriam-Webster.com really explains the Internet

The @claireforny.bsky.social quote is the star of this NYT article about Queenslink. We need imagination and vision: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/n...

The MTA outlined plans Monday to keep the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway to East Harlem on track — even as it battles the Trump administration in federal court over funding for the $7 billion project. NEW in @thecity.nyc www.thecity.nyc/2026/03/23/m...

going to really commit to this this year but here's 2026 book thread 1) Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu / James Robinson. Given my pro pro-democratic institutions bias, this was good. the title's a bit misleading but a very compelling book and avoid a lot of traps that similar books fall into

this further illustrates the @egoldwyn.bsky.social & @ndhapple.bsky.social thesis behind the Better Billion subway extension plan that going from car->transit has a significantly greater affordability benefit than going from $3 fare->free fare

UCLA professor Brian Taylor will be speaking at NYU Marron tomorrow about his research on fare free transit. Come check it out! luma.com/p0sd5ou2

“The idea that really caught fire was the construction of a monorail around the island of Manhattan with attaching spurs originating in the boroughs.”

This is the penultimate reminder about Professor Brian Taylor’s upcoming talk at NYU Marron re: fare free transit. Cookies, coffee, tea, oh my! luma.com/p0sd5ou2

Today is probably the first time I feel this thing is not that far away from being ready for prime time. Still a lot of work, but I hope we can have this online by the end of April 🤞🤞🤞

“He had come into the toughest playground in America looking for action and partially counting on acceptance because he owned a shiny bat and ball.”

We are hosting a talk with UCLA professor Brian Taylor about fare transit, determinants of transit ridership, and fare free trade offs at NYU Marron next week. Should be illuminating. Please join us at 370 Jay Street: luma.com/p0sd5ou2

"In 1885 the owners of 811, 813, 814, 815, 816, and 817 Fifth Avenue tried to persuade the Board of Estimate to remove the zoo from Central Park, saying the animals 'pollute the soil, thus rendering it offensive and unwholesome.' The zoo won the argument."

"When this is built, I want New Yorkers to take it for granted” Thank you to @thecity.nyc @amysohn.bsky.social and Harry Siegel for having my on the podcast to discuss QueensLink! www.thecity.nyc/2026/03/07/q...

If one wanted to drive transformative modal shift in New York or anywhere, one would combine congestion pricing, street parking pricing, and employer/government transit fare subsidy. The latter is a ways away, but making progress on the first two, apparently: nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/03/05/m...

“It was said that whole mansions in Westchester County were built with materials stolen from Co-op City.”

​Greetings from the Northwestern University Transportation Library, where Rachel just showed me the original!

“People used to tell me that explaining jokes ruins them. But I enjoy it. Telling people why things are funny can be funny too.”

We are talking A Better Billion at NYU Marron next week. Housing + Subway Expansion is catnip for New Yorkers. Definite cameos from @27a01.bsky.social, @vanshnookenraggen.com, @eensari.bsky.social, and @ndhapple.bsky.social. We will have food and beverages. Please join us! luma.com/ub7q20a6