Why American Transit Declined with Nicholas Dagen Bloom

In this episode of Stop Requested, Levi McCollum and Christian Londono talk with Nicholas Dagen Bloom, professor and chair of the Department of Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College and author of The Great American Transit Disaster, about how American transit systems declined and why some cities fared better than others.

The conversation explores the role of zoning, automobile growth, transit funding, public ownership, and local politics in reshaping transportation across the country. Bloom also challenges the streetcar conspiracy narrative, explains why frequent service and operating funding matter so much, and shares what today’s transit leaders can learn from a century of decisions that still shape their systems.