#33: Walkability, making buses more affordable, and a book (club) report.

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An ACT book (club) report. 💡

Lauren recently hosted TDM communicator extraordinaire Jeff Tumlin at the ACT Book Club to discuss Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg. Jeff surfaced timely insights for TDM and mobility professionals navigating today’s challenging communications environment.

Here are some highlights from the book club conversation:

• Engagement is harder now. Public discourse is more tribal online and in-person. The path forward: start with agreement, build one-on-one trust, and remember we’re trying to expand the tent but not trying to convince the unmovable.

• Data isn’t enough—stories win. Technical arguments rarely move people. What does work: simple visuals, joyful imagery, and messages tied directly to people’s lives and economic vitality. Shout out to Alicia Trost at BART for her fresh messaging.

• Partnerships matter. You can find unlikely but powerful allies when we connect transit’s success to their bottom line. Modal advocates, while sometimes rage-driven (rightfully so), can be most effective when trust and shared strategy are built.

• Lead with joy, not rage. Anger can rally a base, but joy and deep meaning endure—and ultimately create broader coalitions.

• Stay rooted in ethics. In tough conversations, confidence comes from doing things the right way and keeping staff supported. When you can’t get the outcome you think most effective, at least frame the conversation and analysis to help assess it’s performance later on.

Our Takeaway: Winning trust for TDM and transit isn’t about infrastructure or more data—it’s about people, partnerships, and finding the story that resonates.

A few interesting things. 🧠

📚 Andres Sevtsuk and Rounaq Basu are teaching a 16-week MITx Online course focused on pedestrian mobility, starting in early November. Sign up here.

🚶A new approach for calculating walkability.

📉 Benjamin Schneider dives into the wave of fiscal crises hitting transit agencies across the United States.

🚌 AEI and Brookings take a look at the rising cost of transit buses and propose some strategies to make future procurements more affordable.

Some fun job postings. 💪

• Transportation Division Manager at City of Austin, TX

• Strategic Planner III at VIA (San Antonio, TX)

• Transportation Planner I at RTD (Denver, CO)

A quick Journey update. 🏗️

• Lauren joins LAI: Later this month Lauren will be part of the 2025 New Member Slate of Lamda Alpha International - Chicago Region land economics society. She is excited for continued collaborations with LAI members in Chicago and across the country.

• Chicago City Builders Book Club: Lauren co-hosts the Chicago City Builders Book Club. The club is currently reading Grafters and Goo Goos by James Merriner. Join the discussion on November 5 from 6 to 8 PM at Arup’s office in The Loop. Future reads include The House on Mango Street and Nature’s Metropolis. RSVP here.

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