Don't Call It 'The Bus'

Yonah Freemark looks at Baltimore's new Charm City Circulator as an example of this phenomenon.

Freemark writes, "Like many cities opening similar downtown circulators and rubber tire 'trolleys,' Baltimore hopes that its new bus service will be attractive to people who rarely ride transit; the underlying message is aimed at middle-class whites who live and work downtown along the city's gentrified Inner Harbor. By offering service every few minutes with brand new hybrid buses, well-marked bus stops (though no new stations), and defined routes, the appeal of transit increases, especially for lunch time and late-night trips."