Celebrating my personal MiniMetro hall of fame, collected over the years. ๐
Tag: transportation
Real Rail for Austin!
During the presidential election last month, I was surprised to see that there was also a local transit plan called Project Connect on the ballot. I kind of assumed it would fail since there was a pandemic on, traffic was way down, and people were avoiding crowded spaces. ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ
So the headline on the latest edition of Community Impact shocked me.
Historic public transportation expansion on its way to Austin
And it passed by a hefty margin. ๐ช๐ป
I was farther stunned to see that this is not some BS ๐ฉ rail system built on existing freight rail lines (wtf?) but a real urban rail system actually running through the heart of the city where people can truly ditch their cars forever and hop on the train. This line runs right down South Congress, where I can walk to it to get to downtown, UT, or the airport entirely car-free. ๐

This project can help make the city more human-oriented, more convenient, reduce the need for all that ugly asphalt, take some pressure off those gridlocked streets, and help the planet. For about $25/month I’m soooo in.
Maybe one day Austin will look a little bit like Lisbon. ๐คท๐ปโโ๏ธ
The Yellow Tram of Lisbon
Next time I’m in Portugal, I’m going to ride the little yellow tram. What a stylish way to get around! I don’t even care where I’m going. ๐
Austin Bike Routes Map
Hereโโs a great interactive map of Austinโs official and unofficial bike routes. It includes detailed maps of every neighborhood plus ratings for โcomfortโ level. ๐
Thank you, whoever made this!

Why Did America Give Up on Mass Transit?
Interesting history of mass transit in America. For those of us frustrated by being forced to drive a car everywhere (aka being stuck in traffic without an alternative way to get around) ๐, this article provides some explanation, or at least context.
๐ Why Did America Give Up on Mass Transit?
American suburbs are unique in being almost entirely auto-oriented, relating on those dumb park-and-rides for mass transit. Other countries that have extended mass transit into the suburbs themselves have had much more success. As the article says, “good service can make transit successful even in low-density suburbs.”











