Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast

This week we're joined by Andrew Saltzberg, Head of Transportation Policy and Research at Uber. Andrew talks about growing up in Montreal and his previous transportation work at the World Bank. We also chat about the importance of transportation policy at the city level and Uber's support for congestion pricing as well as the issue of geometry in urban places.

This week we're chatting with Susan Henderson of PlaceMakers about the use and benefits of form-based codes. We talk about the focus of these codes, how they are used to support transit, and how a code can affect the streets around them. Susan also discusses why people might push back against form-based codes and how to frame conversations about them and their benefits.

This week Patrick Siegman joins us to chat on the topic of parking. We chat about the etymology of the word parking, the legend that is Donald Shoup, and why the topic of parking gets so personal.

This week we're joined by Mikael Colville-Andersen to talk about his book Copenhagenize. Mikael tells us about how his children influence his work and his feelings about bike culture. He also shares his dislike of e-bikes and scooters as well as the innovations that he believes help move bikes as transportation forward.

This week we're back at Michelin's Movin On conference talking with Greg Rogers, Director of Government Affairs and Mobility Innovation of SAFE. Greg talks about autonomous vehicle regulations around the country and some of the limits of techno optimism. We also discuss a bit of what we liked and didn't like at the Movin On conference and prospects for the future.

This week we're joined by Clayton Nall, a professor of political science at Stanford University, to discuss his new book about the interstate highway system and political partisanship called The Road to Inequality: How the Federal Highway Program Polarized America and Undermined Cities. We chat about how partisanship affects the way people vote for transportation projects and the history of political change in the transportation world.

This week we're joined by Tom Madrecki, Director of Urban Innovation and Mobility at UPS. Tom talks to us about what urban mobility means to a logistics and delivery company like UPS. He talks about the costs of congestion to the company and how streets that make single occupant vehicles the first priority are not good for active transportation and deliveries.

This week we talk with Stan Wall of HR&A Advisors. We talk about his previous work as the Director of Real Estate and Station Planning for WMATA in Washington DC such as how planning, funding and redevelopment at the NoMa transit station happened. Stan also talks about his favorite projects and what value capture actually means.

This week we're joined by Odetta MacLeish White of the Transformation Alliance in Atlanta. She talks about displacement pressures along the Beltline, history of segregation in planning, and big changes coming to advocacy and equity in the Atlanta region.

This week we're joined by blogger and transport journalist Alon Levy. We talk about how Alon got into transportation, subway costs and price comparisons, and the thinking behind a new Boston commuter rail electrification plan.

This week we're joined for a second time by Shared Use Mobility Center Executive Director Sharon Feigon. Sharon talks to us about the newest trends in shared mobility including scooters and e-bikes and we talk about whether the animosity towards ride hailing has waned. We also chat about the issues cities and transportation companies are coming across as they try to create mobility platforms and whether car share usage is going down due to more options in the market.

Recently we moderated a panel in Austin during South by Southwest hosted by moovel and the Rocky Mountain Institute. The panel featured a number of folks from all different backgrounds discussing the future of mobility platforms in cities. We had representatives from the private sector, public sector, and advocacy voices to balance out the discussion and I think it was a good one folks will enjoy. Jason JonMichael - City of Austin Hilary Norton - FastLA Karina Ricks - City of Pittsburgh Nat Parker - Moovel Tim McHugh - Portland Tri-Met Jules Kortenhorst - CEO Rocky Mountain Institute Meg Merritt - Nelson Nygaard

This week we're joined by the Executive Director of the KC Streetcar Authority, Tom Gerend. Tom talks about some of the challenges in creating the streetcar and a broader regional transit network. He explains the value capture funding mechanism that's funds 100 percent of the streetcar's operations and maintenance—as well as some of the project design and construction). The KC Streetcar is unique in a lot of ways, including its lack of a fare. Tom explains the rationale behind the decision to make the streetcar free.

This week we're joined by LA Metro CEO Phil Washington to talk about the many interesting things the agency is working on. He discusses building affordable housing near transit, testing new ideas like microtransit, and the origins of Metro's Office of Extraordinary Innovation.

This week on the podcast we're joined by Joe DiStefano of Urban Footprint. We talk about Joe's work with Calthorpe Associates doing regional planning as well as creating digital tools for big planning ideas. Joe also talks about the importance of planners having information at their fingertips in order to make decisions as well as being the ones in the room to remind everyone plans are about people.

This week we're joined by Shannon Mattern, Associate Professor of Media Studies at the New School in New York City. Shannon discusses her new book Code+Clay ... Data+Dirt: 5,000 Years of Urban Media. We talk about how she came up with the idea to teach a class on the intersection of media studies, architecture, and cities, her favorite research, and how the perfect future interface humans are looking for does not exist. There's also a discussion about mapping and how digital mapping can leave out aspects of space that should be considered.

This week, we're joined by Somerville MA Mayor Joseph Curtatone. The mayor talks about Somerville's proximity to Boston, its amazing density and variable housing types, and how the community is working together on plans for future transit-oriented development around the Green Line Extension. Mayor Curtatone also talks about how that process is being monitored and can be recreated in the future. Finally, the mayor looks back at how the city has transformed yet maintained its unique character over his 14 years in office.

This week we're joined again by Mariia Zimmerman of MZ Strategies. Mariia discusses how she got into transportation and urban planning after growing up in rural Minnesota and how livability policy has changed over time at the federal level. She also talks about the evolution of discussions about transit oriented development from initial proof of concept to a greater discussion on equity.

This week we're joined by Los Angeles DOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds. We chat about how she got into transportation planning and how we can innovate for everyone. There's also a discussion about the future of streets, air rights of way, and how cities can handle partnerships with mobility providers that benefit cities. And finally we talk about pricing and what that means for cities as well as how to address changing revenue sources as cities evolve.

This week we're joined by Daniel Sperling to talk about his new book Three Revolutions. We talk about the possible sea changes happening in the transportation world with electrification, automation, and shared rides. I ask him about the importance of regulations, how he got his epiphany that shared rides are the future, and what this revolutions means for auto manufacturers.

This week Jarrett Walker of Jarrett Walker and Associates joins the podcast to talk about communicating difficult issues in transportation and planning. We talk about Jarrett's excitement about urban change in Portland Oregon where he grew up and the importance of humanities majors in the transportation profession. We also talk about why NIMBYs feel the way they do and how we can think differently about our language and approach to housing and transportation.

This week we're at the National Shared Mobility Summit in Chicago. Jeff Tumlin of Nelson Nygaard moderates a panel of experts on new mobility including Carla Bailo from the Center for Automotive Research, Krista Huhtala-Jenks from the Finland Ministry of Transport and Communications, Dick Alexander from Trandev, and Justin Erlich from Uber. They talk about the new business model of shared mobility, actually moving people versus selling things, what are the pieces that go into transportation and mobility services as well as the future of moving people around. You might also hear amazing references to MacGyver and heavy metal bands.

This week we chat with Brian Reilly, former Economic Development Director in Buffalo, NY and Cleveland, OH and the Principal of the planning consultancy Doing Good, about integrating transportation and land use in Albuquerque. As Reilly explains, the city's new bus rapid transit line ART is just one project but it forms a frequent and reliable backbone for Albuquerque's entire transportation system. Today, the city is focused on redevelopment along the Central Avenue corridor where ART runs, part of the historic Route 66. Reilly also talks about how the city is approaching poverty reduction from a transportation angle.

This week we're joined by Jonathan Sage Martinson, former Director of the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative in the Twin Cities. We talk about how the collaborative got started, how they supported planning in the Green Line light rail corridor between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and how one member even got the FTA to change a much discussed cost effectiveness rule.

This week we're joined by Robert Cervero, Erick Guerra, and Stefan Al to talk about their new book called Beyond Mobility. They talk about the idea of recalibrating cities and how we can put people first when we think about transportation and the built environment. We also talk about silly regulations such as one parking space per toilet seat and some of the examples of good transportation and planning we can borrow from around the world. Interested in checking out the book? Use the code "4Beyond" at IslandPress.org and get 20% off.

This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by George Karayannis, Vice President of CityNow, a smart city arm of Panasonic Corporation. George talks about smart cities and how to think beyond shiny technology and what it means to think about the future. George also discusses what CityNow is setting up at Pena Station Next, a new smart city concept on Denver RTD's A Line commuter rail that incorporates ideas such as district energy, smarter streetlights, and intelligent power management in buildings. He talks about how and why the station location was chosen for this innovative project.

This week we're joined by Christof Hellmis, Vice President of Strategic Program at Here Technologies in Berlin Germany. I was invited to CES in Las Vegas by HERE to check out the next generation in data and maps and got to sit down with Christof to talk about data and transportation. We chatted about how mapping and location will be important for new transportation technologies and old and I ask questions about equity and data and potential privacy concerns. At one point Christof goes on to say this isn't just mapping for humans, it's maps for everything.

This week on the podcast we're joined by Kyle Shelton of the Kinder Institute to talk about his new book Power Moves: Transportation, Politics, and Development in Houston. I ask Kyle why he wrote the book and his feelings about looking back at history knowing about potentially better transportation outcomes. We also talk about the idea of "infrastructure citizenship" and how local advocacy groups wielded power in past fights between road builders and transit advocates.

This week we're joined by Yonah Freemark of the Transport Politic for our annual prediction extravaganza! Find out how last year's predictions held up and whether you agree with this year's thoughts on Montreal transit and Bus Rapid Transit in Boston. We also discuss the leaked infrastructure plan from the new administration and talk about our favorite writers focused on urban issues.

This week's episode features Fehr and Peers Ron Milam and me discussing the differences between the Transportation Research Board conference in Washington DC and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, both of which took place on the second week in January. We discuss all the interesting topics that emerged from both conferences including delivery drones, curb management, massive data collection from autonomous vehicles, and the potential uses and rights issues that might arise in the built environment from the use of augmented reality.

This week we're back at NACTO 2017 in Chicago with a series of speakers that did quick presentations on how the work we do as advocates to change minds. Skye Duncan hosts and starts off with a discussion of the NACTO Global Designing Cities Initiative. Chris Bruntlett talks about the work he and his family do at Modacity "marketing the lifestyle of cycling". Ed Solis of The City of San Jose describes Viva Calle, San Jose's Cyclovia. Kris Carter of the City of Boston talks about the safety competition app "Boston's Safest Driver". Ankita Chachra discusses the language of design and tools to make change in small ways that empower citizens to demand change. And finally Ronnie Matthew Harris talks about showing people in his neighborhood alternative ways to plan journeys without the car.

This week we're back at the NACTO Designing Cities conference for the closing plenary. Paris' Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Public Space Christophe Najdovski discusses all the improvements that are being made to the city's transportation network. He chats about expanding the subway and tram networks, improving cycling infrastructure, creating more space for people in public squares and pedestrianizing the left bank of the River Seine.

This week we're chatting again with Jonn Ellege of CityMetric. This time it's my turn to interview and we cover a lot of ground. We talk about housing in London and out including the basics of council housing. We chat about major transportation projects including Crossrail and high speed rail while also discuss what's happening to the buses on Oxford street and how Transport for London is regulating Uber.

This week we're joined by Breen Masciotra, TOD Manager for the Port Authorty of Allegheny County and Karina Ricks, Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure at The City of Pittsburgh. We discuss transportation in Pittsburgh and the challenges they face including topography, new technologies, and hostile streets. We also talk about awesome improvements to the system including new bus rapid transit, transit oriented development, eco innovation districts, and connecting multiple mobility types.

This week we're at the NACTO Designing Cities Conference in Chicago and hear keynotes from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Department of Transportation's Director of Planning and Programming Erin Aleman. The Mayor discusses Chicago's distinct advantages compared to other cities as well as improvements that have been made to the cities transportation system. He also talks about new funding sources including a ride hailing fee for transit capital and why those things are related. In her discussion after the Mayor, Erin Aleman discusses how IDOT is working to use NACTO's street design guides, how improvements are being made to reduce fatalities on streets, and how transportation affects everyone.

This week we're joined by James Corless, CEO of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Sacramento area's MPO and COG. We chat with James about the Sacramento region and its connections to both urban and rural economies, his past working on federal transportation policy in Washington DC, why it's kind of ridiculous to do 30 year regional long range transportation plans, and why mid-sized cities are part of a whole new space race for providing jobs and housing around the United States.

This week we chat with Benjamin De La Pena, Deputy Director for Policy, Planning, Mobility, and Right of Way at Seattle DOT. We talk about SDOT's New Mobility Playbook which offers strategies for future transportation that focuses on people first. Benjamin also discusses his affinity for international transportation, how we help the unbanked with transportation solutions, and how organizations can get ahead on policy during this whirlwind time for new mobility.

This week we're sharing the last plenary session of the Rail~volution conference which was a panel discussion of three current mayors of major United States cities hosted by Maurice Jones of LISC. Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland, Mayor Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh, and Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver discuss transportation and innovation in their cities including civic focused non-profits, public-private partnerships, neighborhoods pressures and resilience.

This week we're back again at Rail~Volution and joined by Diana Mendes, Transit/Rail Practice Leader and Vice President at HNTB. We talk about how Diana met the author of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and what needs to change about environmental planning. She talks about the environmental planning process for the Lower Manhattan Recovery after 9-11 in addition to early use of GIS.

This week we're back at the Rail~Volution conference in Denver talking with Congressman Earl Blumenauer who represents Oregon's 3rd District which includes parts of Portland. Congressman Blumenauer discusses how Rail~Volution got its start, how we can use congestion pricing and road user charges to pay for transportation, Vision Zero, and why urbanists should be thinking about the Farm Bill

This week we're joined by Tony Dutzik of the Frontier Group and Steven Higashide of TransitCenter to discuss their new report entitled Who Pays for Parking? We discuss where these parking tax subsidies come from, what are some case studies of cities that have learned how to create value from parking, and who benefits from these parking subsidies.

This week on the podcast we're bringing you an episode we recorded at Rail~Volution in Denver in front of a live audience. I was joined by transit advocate and Maryland local Dan Reed to talk about the Purple Line light rail project. After 31 years of discussion the Purple Line is finally under construction and Dan gives us some background on the project including where the project goes, how the public private partnership was put together and how lawsuits just couldn't keep a good line down. We also learn how Dan used to talk about the project with his friends in high school and how his advocacy has spanned 14 years.

This week we're joined by Abby Thorne Lyman, the Transit Oriented Development Program Manager at BART. Abby discusses BART's new TOD Guidelines and the group of agency policies they pull together. We talk about the importance of reduced parking, the ridership benefits, and expectations transit agencies should have for property developers.

This week we are back at the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in Montreal. We recorded this session on Land Value Capture featuring Julian Ware of Transport for London, Sharon Liu of Hong Kong's MTR, and Iain Dobson of Strategic Regional Research Associates in Toronto. Each of them discuss how each of their organizations looks at land value capture as a specific tool for transport development.

This week we're chatting with Nico Larco, an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Oregon and Co-Director of the Sustainable Cities Initiative. We talk about the secondary effects of autonomous vehicles and e-commerce such as street design, parking, and land values. We also talk about terrestrial drones, zombie cars, delivery bee hives, and the fact that cities just aren't ready yet for an autonomous future.

This week Robin Rather of Collective Strength joins the podcast to talk about missteps in the planning profession. She discusses how she got to thinking about urban issues and why she believes current planning practice is stuck in the 1990s. We also talk about the often jargon filled language the profession uses and use an example paragraph from Austin's current code rewrite to illustrate.

This week is the first part of two where I chat with Jonn Elledge, the editor of City Metric and the host of the Skylines podcast. In this episode Jonn interviews me about US transportation, particularly the history of urban subways and light rail and we also talk about transport politics and possible futures.

This week we welcome back Tanya Snyder of Politico Magazine for the 150th episode of Talking Headways. We discuss aviation legislation in the house of representatives including what it means for drones and whether private jets should pay more for air traffic control. We also talk about legislation on self-driving vehicles and all of the smaller details you might not have heard before including state versus federal regulations of vehicles and children's safety.

This week we're joined by Lee Einsweiler of Code Studio in Austin Texas. We talk about all things land use codes and zoning including what goes into a zoning code, different countries approaches to zoning, the dreaded topic of parking, as well as why they usually haven't been updated for 50 years.

This week on Talking Headways we're joined by Zack Wasserman, Head of Global Business Development at Via, a ride sharing company headquartered in New York. We talk about Via's role as a ride sharing provider and software builder for transit agencies and how we can get more people sharing rides. We also discuss how future transportation will likely change in lower density places and the role of innovation in both the public and private sector transportation space.