Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit

by Steven Higashide

Imagine a bus system that is fast, frequent, and reliable—what would that change about your city?

Buses can and should be the cornerstone of urban transportation. They offer affordable mobility and can connect citizens with every aspect of their lives. But in the US, they have long been an afterthought in budgeting and planning. With a compelling narrative and actionable steps, Better Buses, Better Cities inspires us to fix the bus.

Transit expert Steven Higashide shows us what a successful bus system looks like with real-world stories of reform—such as Houston redrawing its bus network overnight, Boston making room on its streets to put buses first, and Indianapolis winning better bus service on Election Day. Higashide shows how to marshal the public in support of better buses and how new technologies can keep buses on time and make complex transit systems understandable.

Higashide argues that better bus systems will create better cities for all citizens. The consequences of subpar transit service fall most heavily on vulnerable members of society. Transit systems should be planned to be inclusive and provide better service for all. These are difficult tasks that require institutional culture shifts; doing all of them requires resilient organizations and transformational leadership.

Better bus service is key to making our cities better for all citizens. Better Buses, Better Cities describes how decision-makers, philanthropists, activists, and public agency leaders can work together to make the bus a win in any city.

Genres: Urban Planning, Urbanism, Nonfiction, Cities, Politics, Urban, Urban Studies

184 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit, by Steven Higashide, is an excellent introductory manual on how to build better transit infrastructure. The book focuses on the United States, where an infrastructure gap exists, especially in poorer neighbourhoods. City planners focus on building bus routes for the poor, but this leads to a lack of investment, as they roll out the bare minimum, and focus on misguided principles. Buses are an extremely efficient way to get around and more cost-effective than the large, vogue transit projects like urban trains, or hair-brained schemes like Elon Musks' "electric skate" tunnels. These schemes are often much more expensive per rider and are less accessible to average commuters. Another misnomer is the poverty angle; most measurements of bus ridership focus on primary usage. This is a false premise, as many and most take transit occasionally, as well as driving, walking, and cycling, among other forms of transportation.

Higashide looks at some interesting concepts to improve ridership for all. In the book the author lays out principles such as bus frequency, accessibility, the relationship between pedestrians and transit users, bus shelters, new technologies and their effects on transit, and so forth. This book is an excellent slice of transit planning goodness, and is perfect for readers looking for an up-to-date book on transit infrastructure. Although much has changed over the last year due to COVID-19, bus infrastructure remains crucial to the future of cities and regions looking to reduce traffic, environmental impacts, and improve accessibility. Buses remain one of the most efficient ways to travel, and are an amazing way to get where one needs to go. This book cements that and offers ideas on how to make it so.

[Rosalie Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that needed to be written. Its best feature is the dozens of examples the author has found of activists, agencies, and elected officials getting it right on buses, stories that are understudied to date. The book collects these stories into one place, documents them well, and sorts them smartly. The first half focuses on what good service looks like (frequent, fast, reliable, walkable, dignified, fair, and welcoming) and the second on how to get there. Higashide's book is notable for putting almost as much focus on the social aspects of transit (dignified, fair, and welcoming) as on the technical. He was the first person to call out the use of the "captive" v. "choice" binary as both insulting and incorrect, and that same attention to both values and facts are present here. He is clear that a fast, frequent, reliable bus does not help the rider who cannot afford it, who is profiled while riding it, or who cannot stand in the sun long enough to wait for it. It follows then, that not only does policy need to change, but processes, to bring decision-making power closer to riders. He highlights the work of activists bringing transit into the public conversation (Miami), working with agencies for more inclusive engagement processes (Minneapolis), successfully winning referenda (Indianapolis), and organizing to win campaigns and change the narrative (Boston). I wish the book came with an associated website of resources, almost like a textbook. It would be great to be able to go online and find tutorials on how to make a "Where's my bus" site for my local transit agency or code to generate bus report cards, but this is all part of Higashide's call for a bigger, stronger, and more formal national transit advocacy movement. This book makes a great rallying cry for such a movement.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Delivers on all the title promises, striking a balance between real world examples and illustrative data/statistics, between policy/tech solutions and advocacy tips. Engaging and informative. I take Atlanta public transit whenever possible, and in my experience our bus system is simultaneously more effective/efficient than car-only naysayers proclaim *and* far far more frustrating/difficult then it has the potential for (lots of room for improvement, no doubt). Buses in general get a bad rap, despite being one of the most adaptable and affordable solutions for mobility and access in cities -- nice to see them be treated with their due in this book. I should check out volunteering with the "MARTA army"...

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

After I sold my car in 2007 the bus became my primary means of getting places. (Plus walking, of course.) The author makes an excellent case for the value of buses for public transit. Bus routes are flexible and buses efficiently carry many people to work, school, medical facilities, homes and myriad other places. All kinds of issues are covered in a clear, succinct manner with examples and plenty of supporting documentation through footnotes. I'll be keeping my copy of this book for future transit advocacy actions.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guide to transit advocacy for transit advocates

There are some bits of this book that are phrased very strangely, and some portion of arguments that don't hold up to scrutiny if you have a mind to scrutinize them. But if you believe in transit, for equity reasons, environmental reasons, simple brutal efficiency, or for whatever reason, this book will make you better-equipped to advocate for it, especially in its excellent conclusion chapter. The conclusion chapter is actually a great read for anyone interested in ever advocating for anything, as I think its advice is transferable to any other issue area. The book also has value in promoting the bus in particular, an underrated solution in a Left environment that seems fixated mostly on building rail.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! Probably because this is literally what I do for work but I really just think transit (and buses) are the best and this was such a neat book about how to make service better for everyone :’)

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Obviously, I was very into this

[Sterling Hardaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not even kidding when I say that this book has got me seriously thinking about how I can devote some of my free time to advocating for better buses in Chicago and around the country. 🚍

[Jackson Moore-Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable overview of too-often overlooked, yet essential, mode of mass transit. I'm glad to see bus improvements becoming more prominent in the policy conversation, and this book is *the resource* for those looking to get up to speed.

[Anusha Datar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an example-dense manual about how to think about, develop, and fight for better bus infrastructure. Higashide focuses primarily on transit systems in the United States and on relatively current technological developments and systemically describes the attributes of strong bud infrastructure, how it has been developed before, and how it could be developed again.

While I enjoyed this short read I do think it could have benefited from additional context from a historical or more concrete policy oriented perspective. I also feel skeptical of how this book will age from a technology perspective. I would recommend this book to someone really interested in the bus but otherwise would just recommend people take the bus in general.

[Jim Sestito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steven is a transit person in a great way. His book regarding how the bus can create a great way to get around our cities and towns is a good read indeed. We often chase after sexy ways to fix our congestion such as Elon Must and flying cars but really the bus was a pretty good invention and will keep working really well if we get cars out of its way and run them more often to more places.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for people who care about their towns and cities.

[Enzo Miguel De Borja · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a commuter who takes the tricycle, jeep, bus, and train every week, this book now has a special place in my heart. In a country where car ownership is the ideal one is expected to aspire for, it can feel so lonely to care so much about making commutes better, safer, more efficient, and more inclusive. This book made me feel seen and understood.

Higashide emphasizes the importance of forging alliances among civil society organizations, businesses, public agencies, and elected officials in winning the fight for more effective transit. Moreover, organizing and mobilizing advocates who understand transit networks and networks of power are indispensable in winning the hearts and minds of people and encouraging them to campaign for transportation that can help their communities thrive.

Finally, the book urges all who care for more effective transit to adopt a campaigner's mindset (instead of merely reacting to developments), clarify their goals, and seize the moment of opportunity when it finally arrives.

I share Higashide's passion for making our cities livable, fairer, and more just.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for everyone who makes decisions about transit. It’s a quick read, and Higashide outlines the arguments in support of better transit - and how to advocate for it - in very clear, layperson-friendly terms. He also doesn’t mince words when discussing the problems of highway investment nor the political barriers to overcome with the federal bias toward highway and capital spending. Highly, highly recommend this book.

[Caleb Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a quick read that includes real life stories about transit in America while also touching on concepts and other details. I liked the writing style of the author and the specific stories from cities across the U.S. was helpful in understanding transit. We desperately need more and better public transit in America.

[Bett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, sharp, and compelling case for making the most out of bus services in our country. Higashide has a conversational tone which makes this book an easy read, on what I consider to be a vitally important topic. Recommended especially for those interested in environmental policy who might not know much from this angle.

[Hamza · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to transit advocacy with a focus on not only how to achieve it (and examples of organizations that have accomplished this) but also why it's crucially important (and why equitable transit, in particular, is crucially important).

[Charlie Rockow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book builds a lot on Human Transit, while expanding much more on what it actually takes to make transit successful. It was also very cool to see the changes in examples that the authors used in 2011 vs 2018

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, well done and full of interesting ideas

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas for improving bus service and ridership.

[Steve Boyko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone interested in making a positive difference for transit in their area. It offers practical advice on how to engage, inspire and encourage change.

[emma k · Rating 5 out of 5]

everyone should read this!!!

[Joseph Seymour · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better urban planning explainers, advocacy, and researched books I’ve read lately. It’s disciplined focus on buses and incorporation of case studies and current research (I.e. 2016 through 2019) make it relevant in the here and now.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty solid and a quick read for people who ride buses and want to learn about how to potentially improve them. It gave me lots of things to look out for and think about when I'm next on a bus. I think getting even more into the nitty gritty of design with more references to things like design manuals could be useful but that may be a little outside the scope of this book. Overall I thought it was a solid activist handbook for focusing on ways to improve bus networks.

[Daphne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bus transportation is often overlooked by people in place of something that is flashier. When buses run frequently and on time, they can be an effective way to be environmentally friendly even with traditional gas/diesel powered vehicles. This book addresses some of the issues about effective transit.

[Mark Abersold · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a policy book, which means it's kind of boring. However, it makes a pretty solid case for the policy in question, improving bus service. It establishes what the problems are with poor bus service, what makes good and bad bus policy, why we should invest in it, and what the impediments are. A worthwhile read if you're interested in transportation policy.

[Aarti Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on the subject. Must read for knowledge, perspective and highlights.

[Lauren Cordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I am going to buy it, I loved it so much. BETTER BUSES, BETTER CITIES. Higashide makes convincing point after convincing point. America needs a transportation reform and buses can lead the way.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book on an episode of the 99% Invisible podcast called Missing the Bus (Episode 388, 2/4/2020). Author and transit expert Steven Higashide outlines his argument that more robust, Effective bus networks are the only sustainable answer to urban transit problems.

After reading his book, I don't disagree. But I'm not sure I'm the audience for this book. While there are great arguments for why buses are the answer that the layperson can understand, the real drive behind this book is to motivate transit activists and policymakers in how to get local and state agencies to support (and fund) transit projects. l got really bogged down in the parade of acronyms and agendas and agencies. I just kept imaging Leslie Knope and her binders.

Hgashide makes good arguments for buses -- their flexibility, their carrying capacity, and the equitable opportunities that exist in this mode that don't translate to rideshare and light rail systems. My own hometown transit system, CapMetro, got some shout-outs, and large city redesigns like those in Houston and Indianapolis get special attention. There are also some cautionary tales here about how NOT to roll out new transit initiatives (cough, cough, Nashville).

The early chapters roll out ways to make bus transit more effective -- frequency, reliability, transit interfaces with walking, and safety. He also spends time poo-pooing the latest crazes like hyperloops and self-driving transit.

I will say that I'm more "on board" about bus transit than I was before I read this book. And once it's safe to get out and about again, I'm likely to use the free transit pass supplied by my employer more to get around my city.

[MH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas but too political

I really wanted to like this book. I'm more of train and cycling person and even I'm not American I wanted this book to improve my view on busses.

There are some good concepts and ideas. Many good practical tips too. Unfortunately what ruined it for me was his way of pushing his left-leaning political views on so many topics. It felt like everything was about black people, power balance, marginalized people, women, white people being bad, rich people being bad etc.

I understand this book takes an American view on things but toning down the political agenda would help a lot. Even I like the author's practical tips, the book itself was quite a disappointment and a struggle to finish.