Growing Pains and Bullet Trains: The Art and Science of Moving People

Show Notes

In 2016, the much-anticipated Second Avenue Subway line opened in Manhattan, New York. It took nearly a century to finish, and it was the most expensive per-mile subway project… ever — a rare new addition to one of the largest and the oldest subway systems in the world.

By contrast, half a world away, Tokyo has a sprawling web of commuter trains—boasting the 50 busiest train stations in the world. Yet today, even the busiest lines in Tokyo only experience a yearly average delay of 20 seconds — and minimal incidents.

How did Tokyo manage to avoid the friction common in the transit systems of other megacities? In this episode, we examine how officials in post WWII-Japan created one of the most efficient examples of scaled infrastructure in the modern world — and what cities around the world can learn from them.

Special thanks to Alon Levy, Sarah Kaufman, Alex Forrest, and Junichi Sugiyama.

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What is Beneath the Surface: An Infrastructure Podcast?

Infrastructure is—finally—having its moment. From transit systems to supply chains, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others are evaluating whether our civic infrastructure is up to the task of supporting a growing—and warming—globe.

In each episode of Beneath the Surface, we explore some of the most complicated challenges facing our world, and talk to the people who are rolling up their sleeves to build solutions.

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