montréal: more on the new frequent network

Andy Riga of the Montreal Gazette did an interview of me on Frequent Network branding, in response to the rollout of such a brand by their local transit agency, the STM.  The whole interview is here.  News stories based on it are here and here. 

The most useful big-picture idea, in retrospect, is probably this:

Many urban opinion leaders in North America have formed their idea of good transit from travelling in Europe, where many cities have rail networks that feel complete.  In London, Paris, and Berlin, rail seems to be going everyone that most people, and certainly most tourists, want to go.  So these opinion leaders come away with the view that building great transit is about expanding rail. 

That attitude is colliding with the urgency of transit improvement in North America [and Australasia], where most cities have incomplete rail networks if they have them at all.  Faced with the big sustainabiliy challenges that are coming on, these  cities are discovering that they need quality transit sooner, and in more places, than they can possibly deliver with rail network expansions.   

So it no longer makes sense to say that the "good" transit network is the rail network.  We need brands and systems of communication that help people see where their good services are, regardless of whether they're rail or bus or ferry or gondola.  And since we all hate waiting, frequency is the most important variable to market!

Comments

[ant6n]

It's strange seeing Jarret being interviewed in one's local newspaper. ;)

[Joseph]

Yup :)

[Nathaanel]

Hmm. This is perilously close to the "We can't possibly get something good, so we'd better advocate for an inferior stopgap" position.

It doesn't hold water, it's defeatist, and it's politically bizarre. The only way to get anywhere is to sell the stopgap as a stopgap along the way to getting something good.

[Zul]

Hey there

Can you check the links, as they dont seem to work.