A very old transit technology may be the key to making our cities better for everyone
Yesterday
100 Objects #4: Lowe's Gas Bag
In 1861, one man and a “gas bag” filled with hydrogen sparked America's obsession with going higher, farther, into the unknown. In this episode, Roman and journalist Jack Hitt tell the story of Thaddeus Lowe — showman, scientist, and dreamer — whose balloon flight from Cincinnati ... Show More
38m 54s
Jun 5
100 Objects #3: The Pension Files
What do Civil War pension files reveal about one of history's most successful slave rebellions? Historian Edda Fields-Black joins Roman to trace a story of fire, flight, and freedom — beginning on a South Carolina rice plantation in 1863, where a Union raid liberated over 700 peo ... Show More
43m 24s
Aug 2021
Buses
Look, we all know the wheels on the bus go round and round. And of course, that the wipers on the bus go "swish, swish, swish." And it's common knowledge that the horn on the bus goes "beep, beep, beep." And obviously, the babies on the bus go "wahhh, wahhh, wahhh." Don't worry, ... Show More
1h 6m
Jun 2023
Busman's Holiday
<p>One day in 1947, NYC bus driver William Cimillo showed up to his daily bus route, but instead of turning right, he turned left. Over the next week, he traveled 1,300 miles in his municipal bus, ending up in Hollywood, Florida. The bus had broken down, he’d run out of money, an ... Show More
20m 11s
Mar 2020
Diane Jones Allen, "Lost in the Transit Desert: Race, Transit Access, and Suburban Form" (Routledge, 2017)
Increased redevelopment, the dismantling of public housing, and increasing housing costs are forcing a shift in migration of lower income and transit dependent populations to the suburbs. These suburbs are often missing basic transportation, and strategies to address this are lac ... Show More
47m 2s