Places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Germany have substantially better public transportation systems than we do in the United States. Even Bogata, Colombia has a successful bus rapid transit system system--TransMilenio--that is used by millions and surpasses anything Californians experience. And others places around the world have surpassed California in incorporating bikes and scooters into commuting and transportation. Can “low-tech” systems generate more “bang” for the transportation “buck” in California? What systems from other U.S. metropolitan areas--from New York to Portland -- that have more robust and more widely used transportation systems would work in California? Why are other countries able to build high-speed rail and other transportation infrastructure so much more quickly and at lower cost than California?

Panelists

Tom Zoellner (Moderator): Author, Train: Riding the Rails that Created the Modern World--From the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief

Stephen Mikesell: Author, A Tale of Two Bridges: The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridges of 1936 and 2013

Dr. Susan Handy: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis

Susan Carpenter: KPCC Transportation Reporter

Liliana Pereira: Transportation Consultant, Trans-Mileneo, Bogota, Columbia