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· Our cities are congested with cars. And, even if they’re electric or self-driving, they’ll still be cars occupying public space.

· Public transportation is an investment, not a cost. I think it’s a mistake to assume that it’s only used by those who have no choice, or by students or the poor. Public transportation should be for everyone.

· If we do it to attract people who drive, experience shows that this doesn’t work, because the ticket price isn’t the problem: rather, it’s the lack of frequency or services. So, we need to invest money in providing a dense, frequent and high-quality public transit system. That’s what attracts more passengers.

To read the full interview go to: https://english.elpais.com/society/2026-03-01/mohamed-mezghani-from-the-international-association-of-public-transport-a-traffic-jam-of-electric-cars-is-still-a-traffic-jam.html

Sadly Maine is not on the list - maybe next year?

https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2026/01/01/transit-expansion-in-north-america-a-look-ahead-to-2026-and-a-2025-roundup/

By Rebecca Higgins

Describes the need for ongoing and consistent funding of IIJA projects to allow for a rational expansion of regional rail. https://enotrans.org/eno-resources/looking-down-the-tracks-a-case-for-more-predictable-intercity-passenger-rail-funding/

Ben Schneider has a depth of knowledge on what transit should look like. While he focuses on high traffic areas (which Maine does not have yet) he does discuss the need for regional rail between cities (which we do need to tie our state together) and the north/south connector needed in Boston which would be transformative for all of New England including Maine!

https://benjaminschneider.substack.com/p/what-should-americas-transit-moonshot?utm_source=post-banner&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

Not surprising for a state that only supports roads.  https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/economy/2026/01/07/540122/houston-transportation-housing-entertainment-economy/

One fifth of urban and suburban US car owners express a definite interest in living car-free (18 %), and an additional 40 % are open to the idea.

The fastest thing we can do to make car-free live possible for more people is to expand the provision of public transit service. That means actually running more buses and trains, not just building facilities for them.

https://humantransit.org/2025/12/many-americans-are-open-to-car-free-living.html

New York City’s first new transit line in decades, the $5.5 billion Interborough Express, could transform fast-growing parts of Brooklyn and Queens. 

By Benjamin Schneider

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-12-11/nyc-s-interborough-express-is-on-track-to-transform-brooklyn-and-queens