What makes for truly successful public transport - the kind that just works?

Transit by Design is a book for anyone that knows that public transport is something they need to think about, but doesn't know how to start.

It's a practical guide for policymakers and urban practitioners who want to move beyond car-centric thinking and design and deliver transit systems that actually work. The text is aimed at equipping people working in and around the public transport space: architects and urban designers, planners and project managers, politicians and community advocates. It provides insight and advice to those working to improve their cities and towns, especially in places where public transport has been neglected or overlooked in favour of traffic.

Drawing on years of practice, research and first-hand experience, it reframes public transport as a service-led operation where frequency, span, and reliability matter more than built infrastructure alone. Through clear analysis and real-world examples, it challenges conventional transit planning models that target niche commuter and social welfare groups, and instead advocates for designing networks that serve a broad user base with diverse, everyday travel needs.

This book introduces new ways to think about travel demand, explores the geometry of effective routes, and compares network strategies and operating models in relation to their benefits and outcomes. It shows how to estimate operating costs, design efficient networks, and make trade-offs between coverage and directness. It evaluates the range of corridor infrastructure types, compares the options for different kinds of buses and trains, explores the role of ferries and other vehicle modes, and provides clear guidance on how to prioritise investments based on actual requirements and outcomes, not assumptions and guesswork.