As I travel U.S. cities, it is unusual for public transit not to come up as a priority.  But buses are rarely mentioned.  Cities want the sexy stuff -- light rail, trolleys and trams.  I was reminded of this as I was reading again about Bogota's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)…

You have to see these (especially if, like me, you stand on an open el platform in Chicago winters).

That will be an important sign of whether bus rapid transit, the value-priced alternative to light rail, actually works, according to Alan Hoffman, a San Diego-based transit consultant.  It may not be politically correct to say so out loud, he said , "but it's what I call the 'AYF Factor.'…

Here's an interesting example of open source design.  London Mayor Boris Johnson is inviting ideas from everyone for a new bus for the city, based on the much-missed Routemaster.  The competition has two categories:  Fun ideas from everybody and Professional ideas based on actual plans for the Routemaster.