Last month I finally made it out to Berlin for the first time and, honestly, left with a mixed bag of emotions. Frequent readers may recall I live in Chicago, which I classify as a transit-rich city where I can pretty easily get anywhere I need to go using transit. Only on occasion will I splurge on a rideshare or taxi. But I’ve definitely felt the pressure a few times when taking the Blue Line to the airport, barely missing connecting to the train from the bus only to see the next train won’t come for another 20 minutes. Nothing against 20-minute frequencies, but it does require more intentional planning, especially for something like catching a flight.

I experienced European transit for the first time in Berlin, and it immensley broadended my perspecitve. I only had to worry about getting to the right station. The frequency was astounding to me. The reliability was reassuring. And observing the amount and variety of people using transit was heartwarming. Everywhere I looked, there was transit, and there were people using it.

The stations themselves were incredible—not to mention easy to navigate— I don’t speak a lick of German. I’ve had a harder time navigating convention centers. I was also surprised to see people buying fresh flowers, getting a haircut, sitting down to eat, or buying a quick pastry before boarding the train. People didn’t seem to mind existing in a train station, rather than holding their breath and hightailing it to the nearest exit. 

Is it because transit is just a way of life here? That probably plays a role. But despite the amount of people and the capacity that Berlin uses its transit infrastructure, it was clean and well maintained. I’m not saying this is the case 100% of the time—I was there for barely a week. However, I did ride multiple routes, numerous times, on the weekend and weekdays, during traditional peak and non-peak hours, and didn’t have a single bad experience. 

I understand comparing U.S. transit systems to Berlin’s is more apples to oranges. But as a handful of people have told me while attending InnoTrans 2026, we do look to Europe for inspiration. While I’m sad to leave behind a city where it felt like second nature, I’m hopeful and inspired by what transit can look like. And I think my home system, as well as numerous others stateside, are on their way. More frequent service corridors are in service, prioritizing all day connections is becoming the new norm and accessible passenger information continues to come online.  

As the fall 2026 conference season comes to an end and we head back home, my hope is we all bring back excitement and inspiration to better our home agencies. For me, I will always love my home system and will continue to be a devoted rider, but I may be staring out the window, daydreaming about what else is possible when it comes to integrated mobility.