Human Transit Blog

[#Metro]

A good blog all about PT.

Something interesting:

As an expert on public transit, let me warn you that the job of developing great transit must never be left entirely to experts.  Once a community has expressed its transit goals, experts have a role in designing systems to meet them.  But experts shouldn't be the source of the goals themselves.  Citizens and their elected officials are entitled to a clear explanation of the underlying choices they face, and a chance to express their views on them.  I believe every citizen has a right to debate about their public services in terms that they can understand.  Much of my work has been about creating that debate, and I'll try to continue that process here.

The other problem with "expertise" in transit is that there are many different kinds.  Transit agencies tend to draw staff with a wide range of experience, ranging from former bus drivers to engineers to people trained in marketing or business.  There is really no core graduate training that all the practitioners share, as there is in fields like engineering and architecture.

http://urbanist.typepad.com/human_transit/2009/04/welcome-and-manifesto.html
http://www.humantransit.org/

[#Metro]

Sydney Network Planning course
$950 non-discounted.
Discounts for students - send an e-mail.

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/03/sydney-my-short-course-in-network-design.html

[#Metro]

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/08/how-much-should-agencies-explain-their-planning-thoughts.html

Maureen McCarthy, WTA's manager of Community Relations and Marketing, took the time to write the following email in response, which I wanted to share because it's so respectful and cogent (and also explains, once again, why transit to airports is such a difficult issue). 

These days, you can quickly identify customer-hating corporations because they respond to your questions with automated emails that prove to you that nobody read your question.   They brush you off with banalities and ignore what you actually asked. When United Airlines or AT&T talk like this -- and they do it routinely -- they're saying: "We're too big to care, we know that you're stuck with us, and it's easier for us to pretend that you're a credulous moron than to take the trouble of reading what you wrote."   

TransLink???

[SurfRail]

^ TransLink is worse - their contractor (Stellar) employs people to craft meaningless replies each time.  They don't even have the efficiency of a form letter...

Mind you, at least QR could not be accused of this.

[ozbob]

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/09/the-photo-that-explains-almost-everything.html

the photo that explains almost everything

[colinw]

I agree with the sentiment, but that is a completely dishonest representation of the amount of road space that many bikes would take in actual use.

Pressure groups, including this one, do themselves a major disservice when they overstate their case or promote themselves with distortion & spin.

[Gazza]

but that is a completely dishonest representation of the amount of road space that many bikes would take in actual use.

But to be fair, they 'packed in' those cars too, if they were in motion they would be much further apart.

[colinw]

Good point. Other point is that I probably shouldn't post when feeling really negative & grumpy! 

[SurfRail]

^ I'll wager that it is probably a good idea not to post after travelling on public transport in Brisbane then.   

[Fares_Fair]

^ I'll wager that it is probably a good idea not to post after travelling on public transport in Brisbane then.   

Not just Brisbane ... 

[SurfRail]

Sorry, Queensland.

[SurfRail]

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/10/auckland-how-network-redesign-can-transform-a-citys-possibilities.html

LIKE.  Can somebody dragoon MRCagney into doing some more work here?

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Essential reading --> http://www.humantransit.org/2012/10/auckland-how-network-redesign-can-transform-a-citys-possibilities.html ... @TransLinkSEQ @scottemersonmp

[somebody]

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/10/auckland-how-network-redesign-can-transform-a-citys-possibilities.html

LIKE.  Can somebody dragoon MRCagney into doing some more work here?

They have an office in Brisbane!

[Golliwog]

http://www.humantransit.org/2012/10/auckland-how-network-redesign-can-transform-a-citys-possibilities.html

LIKE.  Can somebody dragoon MRCagney into doing some more work here?

They have an office in Brisbane!

They started here. IIRC, they were formed by the guys who worked on the SE busway? Or they formed and became the guys who worked on the SE busway. We had a guest lecture or two from them in UQ's 4th year transport elective class.

[ozbob]

Via http://www.humantransit.org/2012/11/transit-as-a-citys-bloodstream-the-video.html

One day of activity for Translink (Metro Vancouver Transit)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQHRInkjJ58

[Mr X]

Gah I hate that article he referenced. People who think that we'll have automated cars and congestion will disappear as a result are morons.

[ozbob]

Twitter

14m Jarrett Walker Jarrett Walker ‏@humantransit

Seattle Area's magnificent new transit map, which highlights the Frequent Network. http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/

[ozbob]

"abundant access": a map of a community's transit choices, and a possible goal of transit

--> http://www.humantransit.org/2013/03/abundant-access-a-map-of-the-key-transit-choices.html

[ozbob]

Twitter

Jarrett Walker ‏@humantransit 6m

A pretty clear video of my well-attended public talk in #OKC https://vimeo.com/61005538

[bcasey]

A presentation made by Jarrett in Auckland, which he linked to from his blog.

http://aucklandconversations.e-cast.co.nz/auckland-conversations/details/78

Covers a lot of similar concepts as his other talks available on the internet, but as always, he explains these concepts very well and in an easy to understand manner.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Jarrett Walker ‏@humantransit

a glimpse into the road lobby's echo chamber, and how to respond http://bit.ly/19vSepT

[bcasey]

http://www.humantransit.org/2014/02/my-2-day-network-design-course-returns-to-australia.html

Jarrett will be running his network design course in Brisbane on the 31st March - 1st April, and in Melbourne on the 27th - 28th March.

[bcasey]

http://www.humantransit.org/2014/02/my-2-day-network-design-course-returns-to-australia.html

Jarrett will be running his network design course in Brisbane on the 31st March - 1st April, and in Melbourne on the 27th - 28th March.

Just attended the first day of this design course in Brisbane. It has been very informative, as well as very enjoyable, to put the theory from his book/blog into practice, with very hands-on examples. Looking forward to the 2nd day of the course tomorrow.

[bcasey]

http://www.humantransit.org/2015/05/no-lets-not-uber-our-bus-system.html

Its important to know the distinction between privatised operations and privatised planning, and why one is good and the other is bad. Probably not as relevant to SEQ now that Labor is in government, but good to know for the future.

[ozbob]

Mega-Explainer: The Transit Ridership Recipe

>> http://www.humantransit.org/2015/07/mega-explainer-the-ridership-recipe.html

[bcasey]

Keys to great airport transit

http://humantransit.org/2016/03/keys-to-great-airport-transit.html

[bcasey]

Why cars and cities are a bad match

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/03/02/buses-and-trains-thats-what-will-solve-congestion/

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/humantransit/status/1594069523677995008

[ozbob]

https://x.com/humantransit/status/1762169656390078821?s=20