Marco Chitti
@chittimarco.bsky.social
Researcher on urban planning and public transportation.
https://marcochitti.substack.com/
https://marcochitti.substack.com/
I don't doubt takehome salaries are higher in the US. The OP was about the fact that a gross monthly salary figure is representative of final total labour cost for the transit agencies, which is not. Especially on a per revenue service hour base.
November 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I don't doubt takehome salaries are higher in the US. The OP was about the fact that a gross monthly salary figure is representative of final total labour cost for the transit agencies, which is not. Especially on a per revenue service hour base.
Pension plans are very different between countries, but at least in Italy the bulk of your pension as an employee is provided by the government INPS pension fund and there are no systematic employer side plans. Of course one can have an additional private pension plan which is partially deductible.
November 23, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Pension plans are very different between countries, but at least in Italy the bulk of your pension as an employee is provided by the government INPS pension fund and there are no systematic employer side plans. Of course one can have an additional private pension plan which is partially deductible.
Really be careful when you compare gross salaries. Probably the German one has most of the pension contribution already paid by the employer and generally many more cost employer-side that translate into various direct or indirect welfare benefits.
November 23, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Really be careful when you compare gross salaries. Probably the German one has most of the pension contribution already paid by the employer and generally many more cost employer-side that translate into various direct or indirect welfare benefits.
Today I discovered that since 2022 Lombardy has developed a manual for standardized wayfinding for the entire region's transit, notably for bus stops, with a unified design across operators
www.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/i...
www.regione.lombardia.it/wps/portal/i...
November 22, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Well, those who have power to decide whether it's worth preserving are of a different opinion. And that's what matters, unfortunately.
November 22, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Well, those who have power to decide whether it's worth preserving are of a different opinion. And that's what matters, unfortunately.
On billions of dollars and massive delays, Metrolinx is a specialist too.
November 22, 2025 at 7:20 PM
On billions of dollars and massive delays, Metrolinx is a specialist too.
I mean, the real purpose of that demolition is to create space for the fifth platform above and a new configuration of the tracks.
November 22, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I mean, the real purpose of that demolition is to create space for the fifth platform above and a new configuration of the tracks.
I mean, that's impressive.
Toronto, ask some help from Switzerland. But maybe the CFF would run away from Toronto as DB did...
Toronto, ask some help from Switzerland. But maybe the CFF would run away from Toronto as DB did...
November 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I mean, that's impressive.
Toronto, ask some help from Switzerland. But maybe the CFF would run away from Toronto as DB did...
Toronto, ask some help from Switzerland. But maybe the CFF would run away from Toronto as DB did...
Over my dead body
November 22, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Over my dead body
Trying to not be nice, when needed.
November 22, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Trying to not be nice, when needed.
You can have a transit-only street that can host both rail transit and buses. For a city the size of Victoria, it's not really wide to expel buses from it's downtown trunk street, so any scenario would probably have both frequent buses and trams sharing the same corridor
November 21, 2025 at 6:10 PM
You can have a transit-only street that can host both rail transit and buses. For a city the size of Victoria, it's not really wide to expel buses from it's downtown trunk street, so any scenario would probably have both frequent buses and trams sharing the same corridor
There is no way to offer significantly better transit running times in most downtowns without changing dramatically how private traffic accesses and experiences those downtowns. It's as simple and ineluctable as that, unfortunately for "trade-offs do not exist" politics
November 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
There is no way to offer significantly better transit running times in most downtowns without changing dramatically how private traffic accesses and experiences those downtowns. It's as simple and ineluctable as that, unfortunately for "trade-offs do not exist" politics
but that's precisely the kind of scope creep that plagues many projects here. Instead of treating e-buses as just another type of bus with some specific "fueling" needs, we treat them as a completely new beast needing a fully separate infrastructure. that adds to fixed costs.
November 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
but that's precisely the kind of scope creep that plagues many projects here. Instead of treating e-buses as just another type of bus with some specific "fueling" needs, we treat them as a completely new beast needing a fully separate infrastructure. that adds to fixed costs.
Beyond a certain level of traffic, you should dedicate the entire street to transit, dead-end half of the crossing streets, build platforms capable of having 2-3 buses stop simultaneously and/or stagger them.
Fundamentally, there is no way to do effective TSP in through gridded street layouts
Fundamentally, there is no way to do effective TSP in through gridded street layouts
November 21, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Beyond a certain level of traffic, you should dedicate the entire street to transit, dead-end half of the crossing streets, build platforms capable of having 2-3 buses stop simultaneously and/or stagger them.
Fundamentally, there is no way to do effective TSP in through gridded street layouts
Fundamentally, there is no way to do effective TSP in through gridded street layouts
What I don't understand it's why do you need to build a dedicated garage for the electric fleet. Bologna has retrofitted part of the existing garages for the electric buses, by just adding charging stations. Open air.
November 21, 2025 at 5:07 PM
What I don't understand it's why do you need to build a dedicated garage for the electric fleet. Bologna has retrofitted part of the existing garages for the electric buses, by just adding charging stations. Open air.
It sounds more like an autocratic regime move to move the capital far away from people (Egypt, Myanmar, etc), wrapped in climate justification.
November 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
It sounds more like an autocratic regime move to move the capital far away from people (Egypt, Myanmar, etc), wrapped in climate justification.
The Peter Witts operates in Milan. These will increase the current fleet and replace some of the older AnsaldoBreda "Sirietti"
November 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The Peter Witts operates in Milan. These will increase the current fleet and replace some of the older AnsaldoBreda "Sirietti"
That's a thing it's worth exploring. I don't hear that cost differential from EU agencies.
And if the reference is Bellechasse garage, well the main problem was putting it underground, not it being for e-buses
And if the reference is Bellechasse garage, well the main problem was putting it underground, not it being for e-buses
November 21, 2025 at 4:06 PM
That's a thing it's worth exploring. I don't hear that cost differential from EU agencies.
And if the reference is Bellechasse garage, well the main problem was putting it underground, not it being for e-buses
And if the reference is Bellechasse garage, well the main problem was putting it underground, not it being for e-buses
I don't think "moving" a modern city is really something we know how to do.
Whatever that means.
Whatever that means.
November 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I don't think "moving" a modern city is really something we know how to do.
Whatever that means.
Whatever that means.
I think they forget too.
They are also finally reopening the line to Mergellina (tram del mare), so they can almost perfectly double the service of the newly built but still only part-time open metro line 6 🫠
They are also finally reopening the line to Mergellina (tram del mare), so they can almost perfectly double the service of the newly built but still only part-time open metro line 6 🫠
November 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I think they forget too.
They are also finally reopening the line to Mergellina (tram del mare), so they can almost perfectly double the service of the newly built but still only part-time open metro line 6 🫠
They are also finally reopening the line to Mergellina (tram del mare), so they can almost perfectly double the service of the newly built but still only part-time open metro line 6 🫠