Author: Saumik Narayanan

Saumik Narayanan

About Saumik Narayanan

I'm an avid transportation and urban planning enthusiast, interested in designing more efficient transit systems and building sustainable cities that work better for everybody. I grew up in the Twin Cities, and got my degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota. This fall, I started my PhD at Washington University, working in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Follow me on Twitter at @saumikn.

Why Minneapolis needs a Land Value Tax

This image shows a mostly undeveloped parking lot, occupying a full block of prime real estate in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. Why does this lot remain underdeveloped? The owner of the land could increase their income drastically if they developed the land to its fullest potential. Additionally, the city as a whole would gain […]

C Line

Building a Complete aBRT System in Minneapolis

aBRT is by far the most important transit project in the state. While it doesn’t get the same attention as pricier projects like the light rail or suburban BRT, aBRT has proven to be the single most effective and cost-efficient way to grow ridership and improve service quality in the Twin Cities. However, we are […]

Mvta System Map Map 2 1

A Proposal to Double Express Bus Frequency Without Increasing Costs

The express bus system in the south metro has many inefficiencies in its design, leading to low service frequencies. By redesigning the system to consolidate duplicative routes, we can more than double bus frequencies without large increases in operating cost or travel time. My experiences with express buses This summer, I started riding the express […]