Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Around the Block

A Strategy for Strong Transit and Walkability in Small Cities

Center walkable transit in small cities around a key corridor — like Genesee Street in Utica, New York.

A leading group of transit planners recently convened in Minneapolis to talk about best practices. One of the big takeaways, according to attendees, was how leading big city transit agencies are improving service on high-ridership corridors with bus rapid transit, all-door boarding, and improved frequency.

Sandy Johnston at Itinerant Urbanist has been thinking about how those strategies might be applied in small cities with tighter transit budgets. Citing Utica, New York, as an example, Johnston says such cities can offer frequent transit service -- and the walkability benefits it provides -- but they need to be selective about where they do it.

It’s the preservation, revival, or creation of these corridors that will make a small-city revival through urbanism possible. And it means that the identification and intentional development of these one or two possible transit/urbanist corridors is extremely important to the future of these cities.

Utica’s a big enough city to have multiple viable transit corridors at some minimal frequency, but it has one that’s absolutely perfect for frequent transit and good urbanism. Genesee Street is Utica’s main commercial drag, is lined by fairly dense housing already, and is anchored on one end by Union Station–offering transfers to Amtrak and intercity buses–and on the other by a major mall. Current service is decent by small-city standards but the schedule is–typically of Centro, the operator–nearly incomprehensible.

Perhaps it’s time to split rural and small-city transit funding into two pots: one with a coverage/welfare goal, where routes are expected to reach all those who need, but not to return huge ridership or hit specific financial goals; and another with a goal of maximizing ridership, connections to jobs, and economic benefit to the region. That would require a paradigm shift at multiple levels of government–never easy–but it’s worth thinking about.

Here's what else is worth reading today: Pricetags writes that the design of a car-free Vancouver plaza has resulted in a familiar pattern of pedestrian behavior. Charlottesville Tomorrow reports that a local design panel wants parking stripped out of a residential tower and replaced with retail. And Denver Urbanism explains how the city's historic streetcar system helped shape the city for walkability.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

BREAKING: Judge Halts Mayor’s Plan to Tear Out Bedford Av. Bike Lane

And now the city will have to persuade a judge that officials weren't acting "arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally" in ordering the hasty removal.

June 18, 2025

Small ‘Wonder’: Delivery Workers Protest Deactivations By New Food App Power Player

More than 50 delivery workers have had their accounts deactivated by Grubhub in the past two weeks — and they're blaming the company's new owner, a booming new player called Wonder. 

June 18, 2025

Dismissed: Another Judge Throws out Another Congestion Pricing Suit

Yet another anti-congestion pricing lawsuit was thrown out today, after a state Supreme Court justice spiked a lawsuit brought by the Town of Hempstead.

June 18, 2025

Albany Reauthorizes City Speed Camera Program for 5 More Years

It's one of few victories for the street safety movement this session: speed cameras remain in place.

June 18, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines: Full Court Press Edition

What a day: Brad Lander — arrested by ICE! Safe streets advocates sue the city! A Manhattan judge throws out a lame suburban congestion pricing lawsuit. And there's more.

June 18, 2025

UPDATE: Activists Sue City To Prevent Erasure of Bedford Avenue Bike Lane

"If we don’t act now, people are going to die. New York City, we’ll see you in court," a lawyer argues.

June 17, 2025
See all posts