Midstory

In Transit

News EN ↓ 6 episodes

What could a car-less future look like? Or, at least, a less-car one? In Transit brings you dispatches from the cusp of a new era in Midwest public transportation. Join Midstory and host Janek Schaller as we travel from Detroit to Kansas City and everywhere in between to learn about innovative — and sometimes controversial — transit systems helping Middle America navigate what's next.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: in-transit.captivate.fm

Author

Midstory

Episodes

In Rural Illinois, Advocates Are Keeping the Faith in Public Transit 09.07.2025 10:00

In this episode of In Transit — the second in a series on the complexities of funding for mass transit in Illinois — we head down to Springfield for the Rural Transit Assistance Center’s annual conference, where representatives from transit agencies from across the state have gathered to figure out how to demonstrate their worth for federal funding. For more, visit www.midstory.org/in-rural-illino...

Could Consolidation Save Illinois Public Transit from a Major Derailment? 21.05.2025 8:53

In this episode of In Transit, we travel to Illinois, where a proposed bill seeks to address public transportation inefficiencies and funding problems by combining Chicago’s transit agencies into a single entity. With ridership numbers yet to recover from the pandemic and the looming threat of a $770 million budget shortfall, government and transit officials need a solution. Could consolidation be...

Minding the Gap on the St. Louis MetroLink 27.02.2025 9:40

In this episode of In Transit, we travel to St. Louis, where the city’s light rail is undergoing a comprehensive security upgrade. Transit officials claim that the Secure Platform Plan will finally address the public safety concerns that have hampered the system for decades, but some riders wonder who these changes are really meant to serve. For more, visit www.midstory.org/minding-the-gap-on-the-...

Bus Rapid Transit is Finally Getting Columbus Up to Speed 28.01.2025 9:58

In this episode of In Transit, we head to Central Ohio, where voters recently approved a $6 billion proposal that will finally put the Midwestern city on the rapid transit map. For more, visit www.midstory.org/bus-rapid-transit-is-finally-getting-columbus-up-to-speed/

How the Kansas City Streetcar Is Trying to Rewrite History 09.01.2025 9:54

In this episode of In Transit, we visit a city tapping into its public transit past in an attempt to right some of the wrongs of decades of car-oriented development. For more, visit www.midstory.org/how-the-kansas-city-streetcar-is-trying-to-rewrite-history/

The Detroit People Mover and the Promise of Non-Essential Transit 12.11.2024 6:56

In this episode of In Transit, we visit a focus group organized by the Detroit Transportation Corporation to explore the promises, past and future, of the three-mile, single-loop train that is the Detroit People Mover. For more, visit www.midstory.org/circuit-breakers-the-detroit-people-mover-and-the-promise-of-non-essential-transit/