Transit Tangents

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.

Transit Tangents is a society podcast hosted by Louis & Chris, with 139 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Louis & Chris hosts Transit Tangents, a society show with 139 episodes published.

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  Episode #138

  Utah's FrontRunner Closer To Federal Transit Funding

  Aug 18, 202627 minS3

  $1.2 billion doesn’t just buy track and trains. It buys time back in your day, the kind you lose when your “commuter rail” only shows up every 30 to 60 minutes and a single delay wrecks every connection. We dig into the newly awarded federal Capital Investment Grant for Utah’s FrontRunner and why it’s one of the biggest pieces of positive news for public transit in the U.S. in a long while. We start with a refresher on what FrontRunner is today: an 82-mile commuter rail corridor connecting Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden with 16 stations, broad service hours, and strong links to TRAX light rail, buses, and BRT. Then we get specific about what the grant funds: over 26 miles of new double tracking in multiple segments, critical signal upgrades, 10 new DMU trainsets, a new maintenance facility, and a new infill station south of Draper (yes, with park-and-ride spaces) tied to a planned transit-oriented development. The headline outcome is frequency: pushing peak service toward 15-minute trains, a reliability upgrade that changes how usable the whole region feels. If you care about commuter rail, regional rail, transit funding, and what actually makes projects “happen,” listen through and tell us what you think. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  Episode #136

  New York Is More Than Just NYC: The Empire Corridor Plan

  Aug 4, 202623 minS3

  New York dominates rail conversations in the country, yet the most realistic statewide upgrade might be hiding in plain sight. We’re talking about the Empire Corridor and a plan that could make intercity passenger rail in upstate New York faster, more frequent, and far more reliable without needing a full greenfield high-speed rail build. We start with what’s already running: Amtrak’s Empire Service, Maple Leaf, Lake Shore Limited, Adirondack, and Ethan Allen Express, plus the surprisingly strong frequency between New York City and Albany. Then we look at what ridership says about demand today, why schedule changes and reliability problems hit numbers hard, and why the Albany to Niagara Falls corridor has a much bigger audience than most people assume. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and the Niagara Falls tourism draw add up to a corridor where highway traffic is constant and winter driving can be punishing. If you care about Amtrak, rail infrastructure, or making upstate New York feel closer to New York City, you’ll come away with a clear picture of what’s possible and what would need to happen next. Subscribe, share this with a friend who drives the Thruway, and leave a review with your take on whether this is the right rail bet for New York. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  Episode #135

  The Southern Rail Commission is Fighting for More Passenger Service in the South

  Jul 28, 202627 minS3

  Passenger rail in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama doesn’t get the spotlight often, but the story behind Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras service proves how much demand has been waiting on the sidelines. We sit down with Knox Ross, chairman of the Southern Rail Commission, to unpack how a three-state compact built the coalition, the funding path, and the political momentum needed to bring New Orleans to Mobile passenger trains back to the Gulf Coast after years of false starts. We get into what the Southern Rail Commission actually does day to day: stitching together state DOTs, local leaders, congressional champions, Amtrak, and freight rail operators who own the tracks. Knox explains why launching a new passenger route can feel like “almost a miracle,” from changing governors to local supermajority votes, and why persistence matters as much as any technical plan. We also talk candidly about the freight railroad reality: dispatching conflicts, liability concerns, capacity constraints, and why infrastructure upgrades like longer sidings can be the key to making passenger rail coexist with freight. If you enjoy smart, realistic conversations about passenger rail in the United States, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review with the corridor you want to see connected next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  Episode #134

  Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service - A chat with NYC's DOT Commissioner, Mike Flynn

  Jul 21, 202630 minS3

  New York City has the most famous subway in the United States, yet the bus is the workhorse that moves millions of people every single day. That’s why we sat down with Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn to unpack NYC’s newly announced Bus Action Plan and the specific, measurable goal at the center of it: make buses 20% faster without leaving rider comfort, safety, or accessibility behind. We get into the real mechanics of bus priority, from dedicated bus lanes and busways to the political reality of reallocating street space in a dense city where every curb has competing needs. Commissioner Flynn explains why leadership matters when public opinion wobbles right before a major change, and why partnerships between city and state agencies are essential for turning a plan into actual on-street results. Subscribe for more transit deep dives, share this with someone who rides the bus, and leave a review with your city’s biggest bus frustration so we can cover it next. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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  Episode #133

  Brightline: Is it a Success?

  Jul 14, 202627 minS3

  Brightline has been held up as proof that private passenger rail can work in the United States and right now it’s also a warning sign. We went to Florida to ride the Miami to Orlando train for ourselves, then pulled the thread on the business model behind the glossy stations and “high speed-ish” branding. What we found is a system with real momentum as well as a very real financial clock ticking in the background. We unpack how Brightline makes money, starting with the obvious: ticket revenue. From there, we get into the uncomfortable part: roughly $5.5 billion in debt, major infrastructure and station costs, and why even strong ridership growth can still leave a gap once operating expenses and interest payments hit. The result is a future shaped by hard options like bankruptcy, a bond restructuring, or a bailout. If you’re curious about Brightline, Florida rail, and what this means for high-speed rail in the US, listen now, subscribe for more transit deep dives, and share this with a friend who still thinks trains can’t work here. What do you think Brightline should do next? Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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