Wendy Silvani

In March, 2020, the world changed overnight for everyone save “essential workers” and emergency trips.  Standing room only BART and Caltrain cars, city buses, and public and private shuttles emptied.  Only those with no other transportation options and whose jobs were on-site, were riding.  Across all transit agencies, ridership plummeted over 90%.  Freeways were at …

Where’s public transportation going in the post-COVID world? Read More »

First mile shuttles link residents to local and regional transit.  Last mile shuttles link employees from local and regional transit hubs to work sites.  Longer distance shuttles carry employees who live and work in areas beyond the first and last mile directly between these destinations.  There are downtown/retail circulators; school and medical shuttles.  Some require …

Shuttle Diversity, Flexibility are Keys to Success Read More »

How do you provide the frequency and reliability of service that’s needed to make ‘shared’ transport (taking a bus, train, ride-share, etc.)  a viable option for people in both peak and non-peak times, when demand ranges from zero to full capacity?  It’s a difficult and delicate balance. One strategy is to “right-size” vehicles and have …

Right-Sizing Transportation Read More »

Few companies can afford the significant investment required to fund transportation programs that will be effective in reducing drive-alone rates on their own. But by pooling resources with others who either have similar needs or are in close proximity, it is possible to provide programs that will not only benefit many users, but can offer …

Organizing to Fund Transportation Programs Read More »

Thirty Seconds is a Long Time Rely on public transit for a week and watch how quickly your sensitivity to time grows.  Not only do you become finely attuned to the importance of minute-by-minute timing, you become acutely aware of each travel segment:  the length of time to get from your home to your transit stop; wait …

Re-framing Time Read More »