Better Buses, Better Cities

Imagine a bus system that is fast, frequent, and reliable, what would that change about where you live?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 UK, and 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. Transport 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, and San Francisco revamping its boarding procedures.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 transport services fall most heavily on vulnerable members of society. Transport 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 organisations and transformational leadership.Better bus service is key to making our cities better for all citizens. Better Buses, Better Cities describes howdecision-makers, philanthropists, activists, and public agency leaders can work together to make the bus a win in any city.

“"This book is a must-read for anybody who cares about cities and transit. Higashide helps us see how to get more out of buses, a maligned but crucial part of our transit systems."”

"In Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit, Steven Higashide lays out a clear and compelling set of arguments for how city planners, policymakers, and advocates can achieve high-quality bus networks in their cities."-- "Journal of the American Planning Association"
"A passionate book calling for improved bus transportation in the United States. Focusing on success stories and best practices, the book provides compelling guidelines on how bus transit can be improved to better serve the needs of all bus passengers, provide more equitable access to direct, reliable, and fast bus lines, and attract more passengers."
-- "Journal of Urban Affairs"
"Better Buses, Better Cities inspires us to fix the bus system in whatever community we live and work in....Higashide persuasively argues that better bus systems will create better cities for all citizens....Exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, [it] is a welcome and effective resource for social activists, governmental policy makers, city planners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject."-- "Midwest Book Review"
"Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run and Win the Fight for Effective Transit is the ultimate roadmap for how to make the bus great again in your city. Part technical backgrounder, part political field manual, Steven Higashide is a seasoned transit reformer and advocate who provides cautionary tales but also the inspiration for making cities better places to live....With its many success stories, practical tips and tools, it's a call to action for improving a city's bus service."-- "Spacing Vancouver"
"Steven Higashide's new book Better Buses, Better Cities is a superb how-to manual for urban activists and urban policy-makers."-- "Resilience"
"Better Buses, Better Cities makes a convincing for cities to prioritize improved bus service... Higashide shows transit advocates what works in other cities, enabling them to 'learn from the triumphs and pitfalls of others.' [It] is likely the best book ever written on improving bus service in the United States."--Randy Shaw "Beyond Chron"

Steven Higashide is one of America’s leading experts on public transportation and the people who use it. As director of research for the national foundation TransitCenter, Higashide has authored ground-breaking reports that have redefined how decision makers and journalists understand transit. He has taken the bus in 26 cities around the U.S. and the world.

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.

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