How does Bay Area transit compare with the systems of other North American regions? On September 21 at 5:00 p.m. PT, join Seamless Bay Area for a conversation with transit and urban planning expert Christof Spieler where we’ll explore this question and more.

During the discussion, we’ll get Spieler’s insights on a range of issues covered in the newly-issued second edition of his book Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit -- like fare policies, wayfinding, transit governance structures, customer experience, how to create inclusive transit systems that work for all riders. We’ll also highlight opportunities for Bay Area transit riders to get engaged in these issues over the coming months.

Trains, Buses, People has been dubbed “a transit wonk’s bible” that has guided “a smarter conversation about urban transit” in the U.S. The second edition of the book, released in August 2021 by Island Press, is fully updated and expanded to include eight Canadian cities and two new US cities (Indianapolis and San Juan, Puerto Rico). The second edition also includes new sections on inclusivity in transit, as well as all-new maps and additional content focused on network typologies, guideway types, station types, and fares.

This virtual event is free and open to all, presented as part of Bay Area Transit Month. See full list of Transit Month events here. A Zoom link will be provided to all who register for the event at least 24 hours prior to the event date.

About Christof Spieler: Christof Spieler, PE, LEED AP, is a Vice President and Director of Planning at Huitt-Zollars and a Senior Lecturer at Rice University. Spieler is the author of the Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, now released in a fully updated second edition by Island Press. Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information.

About Seamless Bay Area: Seamless Bay Area was founded in 2018 with the mission of transforming the Bay Area’s fragmented and inconvenient public transit into a world-class, equitable, and rider-friendly system. The group has built a broad and diverse coalition of elected officials, community partners, advocates, and volunteers working together to advocate for the structural reforms required to create a world-class public transit system for the Bay Area.