Upzoned - Can a Trolley Make People Want Transit?

A reliable bus is a big improvement, but Mobile is also looking at how appearance, comfort and the experience around the trip can make transit more appealing to people who have other options. The idea comes from “A Streetcar Named Spiro: Mobile Mayor Pushes Trolley-Filled Future,” published by AL.com and Mass Transit. Norm Van Eeden Petersman talks with Levette Fuller, Strong Towns board member, and Wanda Cochran, an attorney in Mobile, Alabama, about what happens after the basics start working. The trolley idea gets at the gap between a transit system that technically works and one that people actually want to use, especially in a city where most residents are accustomed to driving. Better service helps close that gap, but so does making the ride feel more inviting and making the experience around the bus stop more comfortable and practical.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• "A Streetcar Named Spiro: Mobile mayor pushes trolley-filled future" by John Sharp, Masstransitmag.com (September 2026)
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
• Levette Fuller (LinkedIn)
• Wanda Cochran (LinkedIn)
• Articles mentioned and Downzone:
  
  • Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence by Jens Ludwig (Book)
  • Richard Scarry (Site)
  • Ian McGilchrist (Site)
• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

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