Jarrett Walker
@humantransit.bsky.social
Public transit planning consultant and commentator. Author of the book “Human Transit” and the blog HumanTransit.org. The consulting firm is jarrettwalker.com. Also obsessed with literature and plants.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Portland: In the absence of leadership on the transit funding crisis, @trimet.org now proposes VERY serious service cuts, with possibly more to come. These are a mixture of some restructuring ideas from our previous work, and some bad losses of frequency. 1/n
January 5, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Portland: In the absence of leadership on the transit funding crisis, @trimet.org now proposes VERY serious service cuts, with possibly more to come. These are a mixture of some restructuring ideas from our previous work, and some bad losses of frequency. 1/n
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Much has been written about potential safety benefits of AVs. Given the lack of AV data transparency, I cannot speak to whether, or to what degree, AVs are safer than an average human driver. What I can say:
This is the wrong question.
🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
This is the wrong question.
🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers
And even if self-driving technology proves to be less dangerous, there are many better ways to improve traffic safety and prevent fatal crashes.
www.bloomberg.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Much has been written about potential safety benefits of AVs. Given the lack of AV data transparency, I cannot speak to whether, or to what degree, AVs are safer than an average human driver. What I can say:
This is the wrong question.
🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
This is the wrong question.
🧵
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Timeline cleanse: bamboo orchid in a rainstorm, near Kea'au, Hawai'i.
January 6, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Timeline cleanse: bamboo orchid in a rainstorm, near Kea'au, Hawai'i.
Portland: In the absence of leadership on the transit funding crisis, @trimet.org now proposes VERY serious service cuts, with possibly more to come. These are a mixture of some restructuring ideas from our previous work, and some bad losses of frequency. 1/n
January 5, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Portland: In the absence of leadership on the transit funding crisis, @trimet.org now proposes VERY serious service cuts, with possibly more to come. These are a mixture of some restructuring ideas from our previous work, and some bad losses of frequency. 1/n
The more neighbors you have, the more likely it is that one of them will turn out to be someone you trust to look after your pets while you're away.
January 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
The more neighbors you have, the more likely it is that one of them will turn out to be someone you trust to look after your pets while you're away.
Call it decongestion pricing.
27 Million Fewer Car Trips: Life After a Year of Congestion Pricing www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
27 Million Fewer Car Trips: Life After a Year of Congestion Pricing www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Congestion pricing after one year: How life has changed.
How life has changed in the New York area, according to data on traffic, transit and the responses of 600 readers.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Call it decongestion pricing.
27 Million Fewer Car Trips: Life After a Year of Congestion Pricing www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
27 Million Fewer Car Trips: Life After a Year of Congestion Pricing www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Among the explanations for the timing of the invasion of Venezuela, I don't see much mention of an important 5th anniversary coming up on Tuesday.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
January 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Among the explanations for the timing of the invasion of Venezuela, I don't see much mention of an important 5th anniversary coming up on Tuesday.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
Possible angle for building anti-oil sentiment among devout Catholics.
He's right that oil is made of discarded bodies.
As for the demons, climate advocates should welcome works of imagination that strengthen the cause.
He's right that oil is made of discarded bodies.
As for the demons, climate advocates should welcome works of imagination that strengthen the cause.
January 4, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Possible angle for building anti-oil sentiment among devout Catholics.
He's right that oil is made of discarded bodies.
As for the demons, climate advocates should welcome works of imagination that strengthen the cause.
He's right that oil is made of discarded bodies.
As for the demons, climate advocates should welcome works of imagination that strengthen the cause.
Among the explanations for the timing of the invasion of Venezuela, I don't see much mention of an important 5th anniversary coming up on Tuesday.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
January 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Among the explanations for the timing of the invasion of Venezuela, I don't see much mention of an important 5th anniversary coming up on Tuesday.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
It's hard to keep track of all the things we need to be distracted from.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
January 2, 2026 at 2:17 PM
One thing I wrote about here is how technology has made buses *way* more convenient while techno-futurists were obsessed with flying taxis and self-driving cars.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Is your transit agency "succeeding"? It depends on the definition of success, and not everyone agrees on that. Here's my timeless article on this, just now updated a bit.
humantransit.org/2018/02/basi...
humantransit.org/2018/02/basi...
Basics: The Ridership - Coverage Tradeoff — Human Transit
Is your transit agency succeeding? It depends on what it’s trying to do, and most transit agencies haven’t been given clear direction about what they should be trying to do. Different people have di...
humantransit.org
December 2, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Is your transit agency "succeeding"? It depends on the definition of success, and not everyone agrees on that. Here's my timeless article on this, just now updated a bit.
humantransit.org/2018/02/basi...
humantransit.org/2018/02/basi...
A nice illustration of why the way that most city planners measure density is irrelevant to transportation planning.
Transportation planners care about the density all along a corridor. That means averaging this area with the empty spaces that must be crossed to reach it.
@thetransitguy.com
Transportation planners care about the density all along a corridor. That means averaging this area with the empty spaces that must be crossed to reach it.
@thetransitguy.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:36 PM
A nice illustration of why the way that most city planners measure density is irrelevant to transportation planning.
Transportation planners care about the density all along a corridor. That means averaging this area with the empty spaces that must be crossed to reach it.
@thetransitguy.com
Transportation planners care about the density all along a corridor. That means averaging this area with the empty spaces that must be crossed to reach it.
@thetransitguy.com
If you don't try to draw a map of a bus network, decision-makers will never see how complicated it is.
Our firm often draws an agency's first clear map. Its effect is sometimes to show that the service doesn't make sense, which starts the process of improving it.
Apps are helpful but maps matter.
Our firm often draws an agency's first clear map. Its effect is sometimes to show that the service doesn't make sense, which starts the process of improving it.
Apps are helpful but maps matter.
The NJ Transit bus route network is incredibly complicated, and some routes only run at certain times of day or certain times of the week. You could make a case (I might not agree with it) that it is actually impossible to make a useful NJ Transit bus route map.
January 2, 2026 at 3:58 PM
If you don't try to draw a map of a bus network, decision-makers will never see how complicated it is.
Our firm often draws an agency's first clear map. Its effect is sometimes to show that the service doesn't make sense, which starts the process of improving it.
Apps are helpful but maps matter.
Our firm often draws an agency's first clear map. Its effect is sometimes to show that the service doesn't make sense, which starts the process of improving it.
Apps are helpful but maps matter.
When you ask people what they would do in a hypothetical situation, they sometimes answer a different question: How likely is that situation?
Another reason to reject “stated preference” surveying.
Another reason to reject “stated preference” surveying.
January 1, 2026 at 8:20 PM
When you ask people what they would do in a hypothetical situation, they sometimes answer a different question: How likely is that situation?
Another reason to reject “stated preference” surveying.
Another reason to reject “stated preference” surveying.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Give me a train that goes where I'm going with frequency and I'll never start my car again
An astonishing percentage of Americans are open to car-free living.
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
Many Americans Are Open to Car-Free Living — Human Transit
Is Americans a “car culture” or are they “car dependent”? Do they drive because they love driving, or are they in an unhealthy relationship with a substance it would be happy to do without? Obviousl...
humantransit.org
January 1, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Give me a train that goes where I'm going with frequency and I'll never start my car again
Paleoclassical urbanism with a dash of high fantasy. Maybe a way to lure those Rome-worshipping dudes out of their parents’ basements?
January 1, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Paleoclassical urbanism with a dash of high fantasy. Maybe a way to lure those Rome-worshipping dudes out of their parents’ basements?
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
I think the most effectively way to frame this issue is, "Don't you want choice in where you live and how you get around?" When framed this way, multimodal reforms transform from a burden (e.g. "we have to do this because of climate change/sprawl/costs/etc") into an amenity.
An astonishing percentage of Americans are open to car-free living.
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
Many Americans Are Open to Car-Free Living — Human Transit
Is Americans a “car culture” or are they “car dependent”? Do they drive because they love driving, or are they in an unhealthy relationship with a substance it would be happy to do without? Obviousl...
humantransit.org
December 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
I think the most effectively way to frame this issue is, "Don't you want choice in where you live and how you get around?" When framed this way, multimodal reforms transform from a burden (e.g. "we have to do this because of climate change/sprawl/costs/etc") into an amenity.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Americans do not have a "love affair" with cars, the term typically used in the media.
Rather we are in an abusive relationship, wanting to leave but fearing the consequences.
Rather we are in an abusive relationship, wanting to leave but fearing the consequences.
An astonishing percentage of Americans are open to car-free living.
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
Many Americans Are Open to Car-Free Living — Human Transit
Is Americans a “car culture” or are they “car dependent”? Do they drive because they love driving, or are they in an unhealthy relationship with a substance it would be happy to do without? Obviousl...
humantransit.org
December 31, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Americans do not have a "love affair" with cars, the term typically used in the media.
Rather we are in an abusive relationship, wanting to leave but fearing the consequences.
Rather we are in an abusive relationship, wanting to leave but fearing the consequences.
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
"car owners interested in car-free living are a diverse group, with few significant associations between interest in car-free living and key socioeconomic or demographic variables"
Those wishing to drop the car are "rich and poor, old and young, and of various races and political opinions".
Those wishing to drop the car are "rich and poor, old and young, and of various races and political opinions".
An astonishing percentage of Americans are open to car-free living.
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
The problem isn't attitudes. The problem is the failure to invest in viable options.
humantransit.org/2025/12/many...
Many Americans Are Open to Car-Free Living — Human Transit
Is Americans a “car culture” or are they “car dependent”? Do they drive because they love driving, or are they in an unhealthy relationship with a substance it would be happy to do without? Obviousl...
humantransit.org
December 30, 2025 at 11:06 PM
"car owners interested in car-free living are a diverse group, with few significant associations between interest in car-free living and key socioeconomic or demographic variables"
Those wishing to drop the car are "rich and poor, old and young, and of various races and political opinions".
Those wishing to drop the car are "rich and poor, old and young, and of various races and political opinions".
This 2012 article of mine about why it’s so hard to reconcile urban development with public transit planning is, alas, still timely. I wouldn’t change a word. I’m curious if people feel that the problem has changed much since then.
humantransit.org/2012/09/tran...
humantransit.org/2012/09/tran...
urban designers are from mars, transit planners are from venus — Human Transit
Just got home from the Congress for the New Urbanism Transportation Summit, which is trying to formulate transportation policy and advice from a New Urbanist point of view. Over the last decade, the C...
humantransit.org
December 29, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This 2012 article of mine about why it’s so hard to reconcile urban development with public transit planning is, alas, still timely. I wouldn’t change a word. I’m curious if people feel that the problem has changed much since then.
humantransit.org/2012/09/tran...
humantransit.org/2012/09/tran...
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
@humantransit.bsky.social on CNU:
“Much New Urbanism is about slowing everything down in urban environments, and while the goal of increased urban density means that ultimately travel distances are shorter, slower movement can also mean reducing people's ability to get where they're going.”
“Much New Urbanism is about slowing everything down in urban environments, and while the goal of increased urban density means that ultimately travel distances are shorter, slower movement can also mean reducing people's ability to get where they're going.”
urban designers are from mars, transit planners are from venus — Human Transit
Just got home from the Congress for the New Urbanism Transportation Summit, which is trying to formulate transportation policy and advice from a New Urbanist point of view. Over the last decade, the C...
humantransit.org
December 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
@humantransit.bsky.social on CNU:
“Much New Urbanism is about slowing everything down in urban environments, and while the goal of increased urban density means that ultimately travel distances are shorter, slower movement can also mean reducing people's ability to get where they're going.”
“Much New Urbanism is about slowing everything down in urban environments, and while the goal of increased urban density means that ultimately travel distances are shorter, slower movement can also mean reducing people's ability to get where they're going.”
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
It's an excellent book.
Honored that @IslandPress has named my book "Human Transit" as one of their top 10 Built Environment books from their 40 years of publishing.
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
Top 10 Island Press Built Environment Books
From “Life Between Buildings” to “Human Transit,” Island Press has played a critical role in building the catalogue of literature that is foundational to urban planning.
www.planetizen.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:38 PM
It's an excellent book.
Honored that @IslandPress has named my book "Human Transit" as one of their top 10 Built Environment books from their 40 years of publishing.
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
Top 10 Island Press Built Environment Books
From “Life Between Buildings” to “Human Transit,” Island Press has played a critical role in building the catalogue of literature that is foundational to urban planning.
www.planetizen.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Honored that @IslandPress has named my book "Human Transit" as one of their top 10 Built Environment books from their 40 years of publishing.
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
It's a friendly, readable guide to help you think about public transportation issues.
www.planetizen.com/features/136...
Reposted by Jarrett Walker
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Be more patient with your enemies this year. It will drive them crazy
December 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Be more patient with your enemies this year. It will drive them crazy