A forward-thinking 16-year-old named Kenyen Coleman founded something called The Drive Time Movement - an impressive effort to use data to push for better public transit and community change. His website offers calculators and a free advocacy toolkit that make commute time, true car costs, and environmental impact personal and actionable.

This episode follows Kenyen’s journey, the tools he built, and what he hopes for the future of public transit in America. Big ideas for a young person with a vision for the future. Visit transportopia.org for show notes our blog and other resources.

Show Notes:

The Transportopia News and Views Bonus episode between full shows examines four major transit stories: a record-breaking ridership surge during the 2026 World Cup across U.S. host cities; Brightline’s narrow escape from missed payments as it wrestles with $5.5 billion in debt; the near-certainty that the 21st Century Road to Housing Act will become law, linking zoning and transit planning; and a public feud between Amtrak and the MTA over control and funding of the Penn Station overhaul.

Host Rick L'Amie ties these stories together via a common thread of money and power — who pays for transit, who controls it, and whether short-term wins (like World Cup ridership) can translate into lasting change. Visit transportopia.org for show notes and more.

Show Notes: Story Sources

World Cup Ridership Records

Sound Transit / FOX 13 Seattle: https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/world-cup-sound-transit-ridership-record

Brightline Dodges Default

The Bond Buyer: https://www.bondbuyer.com/news/brightline-florida-squeaks-by-debt-payments-gains-two-week-grace-period

Housing Bill / Transit DNA (21st Century ROAD to Housing Act)

Bipartisan Policy Center: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/inside-the-deal-whats-in-the-final-21st-century-road-to-housing-act/

Penn Station Turf War

Streetsblog NYC: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/06/29/the-explainer-why-the-penn-station-project-is-getting-all-messed-up-again

This encore episode of Transportopia features Professor Anastasia Lukaitou‑Sideris discussing transit safety after a high‑profile incident in Charlotte. The conversation with Host Rick L'Amie focuses on how design, lighting, visibility, targeted staffing, technology, and community partnerships can reduce both crime and the fear of crime for riders and operators.

Professor Lukaitou‑Sideris highlights practical steps agencies can take now—safety audits, strategic resource allocation, environmental design changes, and clinician partnerships—to create transit spaces that feel open, welcoming, and secure, with special attention to women’s experiences.

Show Notes:

Professor Lukaitou-Sideris UCLA web page bio

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Crime Report News Release

The World Cup drove unprecedented transit ridership across U.S. host cities, while New York unveiled an $8 billion redesign for Penn Station that mixes grandeur with controversy. Meanwhile, a proposed federal bill could cut transit funding just as Bogota launches its long-awaited metro, highlighting the stakes for transit investment and political will.

Transportopia News and Views with Rick L'Amie - our bonus episode between full episodes - breaks down these top stories and what they mean for the future of public transportation.

SOURCES / SHOW NOTES

4. Bogotá Tests First Rail Metro — High Speed via NJTOD, June 1, 2026

https://www.highspeed.blog/bogota-gets-its-metro/?ref=high-speed-newsletter

This episode of Transportopia explores Imagry's camera-and-AI autonomous bus system and its focus on solving the global shortage of bus drivers and improving public transit. The Israeli-based tech startup with offices in San Jose, CA will soon launch its first US autonomous bus deployments in Florida and Nevada.

Host Rick L'Amie interviews Imagry CEO Eran Ofir about mapless, on-board autonomy, safety testing, real-world deployments, and how autonomous buses could reduce congestion and reshape cities. 

Show Notes

IMAGRY

VIDEOS

Mixed Car/Bus Demo Drives

San Jose Urban Driving

NCAP Safety Testing

ARTICLES

The Curbivore — To Map or Not to Map

New Polis — The Journey of Autonomous Buses

S&P Global — Congress Weighs AV Safety Law

In this bonus News and Views episode, Rick L'Amie breaks down four major transit stories: the historic groundbreaking for Phase 2 of the 2nd Avenue Subway in East Harlem, Illinois’ creation of a powerful new regional transit authority, Brightline’s looming bankruptcy, and Sonoma-Marin voters extending rail funding for SMART.

Taken together these stories show how public, private, and local choices are shaping the future of American transit right now — from century-old promises finally delivered to experiments that may be failing and voters who still back long-term rail investment.

Sources:

https://abc7ny.com/post/second-ave-subway-project-governor-hochul-announce-phase-avenue-expansion/19256113/

https://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/2026/06/01/nita-rta-transit-law-cta-metra-pace

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2026/06/05/fridays-headlines-are-getting-dim

https://www.kqed.org/news/12085563/early-returns-show-strong-support-for-smart-tax-extension-in-sonoma-marin

Transportopia host Rick L'Amie rides the G and 7 with his daughter Lauren as she describes life as a longtime New York City transit rider. They discuss the quirky G train jog, seasonal shutdowns, and the city’s 24-hour subway that makes car-free living possible.

Lauren reflects on moving from Austin, selling her car, and how transit shapes daily life — from schlepping furniture on the train to mourning the MetroCard as the system moves to OMNY. She also dispels myths about subway safety and urges newcomers: take the train.

SHOW NOTES — REFERENCES & LINKS

The MTA — mta.info (official site, all NYC subway info)

The G train service page the notorious service change closings for 2026— https://www.mta.info/article/service-changes-g-line-2026

OMNY (tap-to-pay) — omny.info (MTA’s contactless fare system)

End of the MetroCard — https://www.mta.info/press-release/mta-partners-iconic-culinary-vendors-celebrate-end-of-metrocard (MTA’s official MetroCard sunset announcement*)

New York City Transit Museum — nytransitmuseum.org (the place to go for token, MetroCard, and subway history)

Austin, Texas

Capital Metro (Cap Metro) — capmetro.org (Austin’s public transit agency)

Cap MetroRail Red Line — capmetro.org/rail (the commuter rail line referenced in the episode)

This episode of Transportopia News and Views breaks down the biggest surface transportation bill in years, New York’s congestion pricing first-year results, California’s controversial 140 mph bullet-bus study, and the winners of the 2026 International Bus Roadeo in Salt Lake City.

Host Rick L’Amie connects policy headlines with real-world practice, highlighting how funding, results, speed, and the people who run transit intersect — and teases a ride-along episode in New York City with his daughter coming next week.

SOURCES / SHOW NOTES

In this episode of Transportopia, Rick L'Amie dives into transit fandom—from viral personalities like Francis Bourgeois and creators like Miles in Transit to virtual communities on Roblox, simulation games like Mini Metro and Subway Builder, and transit-inspired art and collectibles.

He explores how these hobbies create emotional connections to cities, transform transit into visual culture and community, and show how movement, memory, and design bring people together.

Transit Fandom Articles

The New Yorker - Where Transit Fans Unite

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/rabbit-holes/where-transit-fans-unite

San Francisco Standard - Muni and BART superfans

https://sfstandard.com/2025/11/13/muni-bart-public-transit-fans-merch/

Creators

Francis Bourgeois Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/francis_bourgeois43/

Miles in Transit YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@MilesinTransit

Seniac YouTube

https://youtu.be/QdAMHBmx_m0?si=IePBQY13DXrnbaF_

Saugat Transit

https://www.saugatransit.com

Saugat Transit Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/saugatransit/

Games and Simulations

Mini Metro

https://dinopoloclub.com/games/mini-metro/

Subway Builder

https://www.subwaybuilder.com

Metro Board - Design Rules Co.

https://www.designrules.co/

In this episode of Transportopia News and Views we cover three major transport moves: Los Angeles opened new Purple Line subway stations under Wilshire Boulevard, New York City redesigned the Manhattan approach to the Brooklyn Bridge to separate cyclists and pedestrians and announced plans for a 10-mile bike boulevard in Brooklyn, and Denver advanced plans for bus rapid transit on Colorado Boulevard.

These stories show real momentum — built infrastructure arriving and planning progressing — improving safety, access, and alternatives to car travel across U.S. cities. Visit transportopia.org for show notes, links and podcast extras. And please like us wherever you get your podcasts.