flashy and expensive new transit projects, such as the los angeles subway or san francisco’s proposed central subway, get a lot of media attention. but cities and counties have a lot of discretion to improve their existing public transit systems in sometimes relatively low-cost ways. the benefits, as we discuss in a ucla / berkeley law white paper on the subject (called all aboard), include alternatives to sitting in traffic, better air quality, and improved quality of life.

stuart cohen, the executive director of transform, a california-based organization devoted to improving public transit, discusses local options for improving transit, such as developing bus rapid transit lines that give lane and signal priority to buses.