PODCAST · government
ModeShift
by Via
Transportation needs a major overhaul. ‘ModeShift’ is a series that explores the past, present, and future of how we move. Many converging factors are forcing us to rethink mobility: Aging infrastructure, outdated planning, inequitable access, and rapid technology shifts. Co-hosts Andrei Greenawalt and Tiffany Chu bring together historical examples, personal stories, and timely case studies to explore the future of transportation in the U.S.
Episodes
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Faster, Higher, Stronger
Nearly two years ago, Salt Lake City received some long-awaited news: it will officially host the 2034 Winter Olympics. That makes Salt Lake one of only two U.S. cities to host the winter games twice. The announcement shifted planners’ focus to logistics—specifically, how the region's transit...
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Before the Ice Cream Melts
Public transit is a critical service that can drive significant economic growth for cities. But only if it’s effective. About 15 years ago, Daniel Ramot and his co-founder Oren Shoval had an idea that transit could be more than just the big buses and trains of the last century. That cities could...
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The Manchester Turnaround
For decades, the bus system in Greater Manchester, UK failed to deliver reliable service for the region’s residents. The main culprit? A shift towards privatization in the’80s that allowed dozens of companies to operate in the city. As a result, ridership dwindled and services were slashed. In...
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Transit on the Ballot
Americans want better transit, and they’re making it known at the ballot box. Across the country, voters are approving policies that fund new infrastructure and reinforce existing transit services. In 2024 alone, 51 ballot measures passed nationwide, collectively securing over $25 billion in...
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America's Mobility Trap
Across America, millions of families are feeling the effects of an affordability crisis. As the cost of living continues to rise, one-quarter of us have no savings, and over half couldn’t afford a $1,000 emergency. As we scramble for solutions, one bold idea is staring us in the face: transit. In...
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Why Waymo Is Betting on Transit
Few technological advances have captured our attention like the rise of autonomous robotaxis. From San Francisco to Austin, Los Angeles to Miami, you can now hail a white Jaguar Waymo driven by…no one. Yet for Arielle Fleisher, AVs are about much more than cool technology: she sees them as a…
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The Mayor Who Ended Traffic Deaths
It’s no secret that America’s streets are dangerous: roughly 40,000 people die on our roads every year. In response, over the past couple of decades, 60 cities have embraced VisionZero — a framework for road safety developed in Sweden — to make roads safer by slowing down cars and expanding curbs...
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The Sioux Falls Transit Experiment
Across America, small and medium-sized cities are growing at a rapid clip. In many of them, transit services have failed to keep up. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that is not the case. In this episode, we hear from Paul TenHaken, the city’s outspoken and candid mayor. Under TenHaken’s watch…
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The Parking Paradox
America is hooked on parking. There are roughly two billion parking spaces in the United States; that’s about eight spots for every single car. All of that parking takes up a lot of space; roughly a third of the land in our cities. For Henry Grabar, the acclaimed author of “Paved Paradise,” our...
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The Great Unclogging
Last year, New York City launched one of the most ambitious and dramatic transportation-related plans America has seen in a quarter-century: congestion pricing. The plan charges most vehicles $9 to enter Manhattan south of 61st Street; those funds are being used to overhaul the region’s transit...
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Season 2: The prosperity engine
When people talk about economic opportunity, they usually focus on jobs, education, or housing. But there’s another factor that shapes all of those things: how people move. In season two of ModeShift, host Andrei Greenawalt explores how cities across the U.S. are rethinking transportation — not...
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A car-light vision for the U.S.
The average LA commuter spends five days a year stuck in traffic; pedestrian deaths are the highest they’ve been in 40 years in the U.S.; and the transportation sector is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in America. They’re all products of a system that has prioritized...
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Transit that works for everyone
We’ve been sold on the idea that a car is the ultimate freedom. But that’s only true for people who can afford it. A system that relies on owning a personal car is not a system that provides freedom to everyone – it’s a system that disproportionately penalizes people of color, people with limited...
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A paradigm shift in tech adoption
Rapid deployment of new technologies have given consumers more mobility options – but have also caused conflicts with regulators and local planners. But that paradigm is shifting. Conflict is turning into collaboration. TransitTech companies are now working more closely with cities and transit...
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A new era for rural transit
Rural transit needs help. According to analysis from the National Transit Database, 87 percent of the least-productive bus networks are located in rural counties with populations lower than 50,000 residents. These “transit deserts” in rural areas have major social, economic, and health...
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The politics of reshaping transit
Breaking our car dependence and reinvigorating our public transit system is not straightforward. It is a complicated and politically controversial process. But a new generation of political leaders is working to reform how we invest in mobility options at the federal, state, and local levels. In...
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Transit on the brink
America’s transit system is struggling. How do we fix it? A D minus. That’s what the American Society of Civil Engineers gives US transit infrastructure for a grade. There’s a $176 billion repair backlog across the country; nearly half of the population doesn't have access to any transit; and…
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Introducing ModeShift
The modern American economy was built for cars. Outside of major cities, most of us depend heavily on cars to get everywhere. Not having access to one can put a person at a serious disadvantage. So what will it take to change the way we move around? Can we develop a new transportation framework...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Transportation needs a major overhaul. ‘ModeShift’ is a series that explores the past, present, and future of how we move. Many converging factors are forcing us to rethink mobility: Aging infrastructure, outdated planning, inequitable access, and rapid technology shifts. Co-hosts Andrei Greenawalt and Tiffany Chu bring together historical examples, personal stories, and timely case studies to explore the future of transportation in the U.S.
HOSTED BY
Via
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does ModeShift have?
ModeShift currently has 18 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is ModeShift about?
Transportation needs a major overhaul. ‘ModeShift’ is a series that explores the past, present, and future of how we move. Many converging factors are forcing us to rethink mobility: Aging infrastructure, outdated planning, inequitable access, and rapid technology shifts. Co-hosts Andrei Greenawalt...
How often does ModeShift release new episodes?
ModeShift has 18 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to ModeShift?
You can listen to ModeShift on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts ModeShift?
ModeShift is created and hosted by Via.
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