Why does the US have the worst public transportation?
Low density: US population density is 1/10th of India's and quite low compared to many places in Western Europe or Japan. Public transportation requires a lot of volume to work. Urban sprawl: US cities are needlessly unwieldy. San Francisco Bay Area runs for 100km+ end to end, for instance.
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Europe's public-transit systems are so good that many urban Europeans go through life never learning to drive. Their wheels are trains, subways, trams, buses, and the occasional taxi. If you embrace these forms of transportation when visiting cities, you'll travel smarter.
Boston (MA), Seattle (WA) and Washington (DC) were determined to have the top three public transit systems in America, whereas the public transit systems in Las Vegas (NV), San Diego (CA) and San Antonio (TX) were judged to be the worst.
But the state of public transit in the U.S. is declining rapidly as transit across the nation faces a fiscal crisis. Philadelphia's SEPTA predicts a deficit of almost $269 million by 2027.
Overall, the United States ranked second behind Singapore, but it falls somewhat behind when it comes to transportation and utility infrastructure. On transportation, the forum's score takes into account eight measures, rating the United States No.12 globally.
Rail systems are so popular in Europe because they can get loads of passengers to their respective destinations en masse — with much less of an impact on the environment. National governments, looking to reduce carbon emissions and put pro-environmental policy into practice, subsidize or own entire rail networks.
Public transport in Tallinn has been free since 2013; a political decision taken to help ease the cost-of-living for citizens. Environmental motivations were secondary, but as more and more places seek to decarbonise in this way, the European pioneer has become an unexpected trailblazer.
According to Statista Consumer Insights, 73 percent of American commuters use their own car to move between home and work, making it by far the most popular mode of transportation. Meanwhile, only 13 percent of the 7,649 respondents use public transportation while 11 percent ride their bike.
1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.
In most European cities, public transport systems will take you through or to famous attractions. It's easy to access bus stops and stations as there are extensive road and subway networks within cities. Europe has a wide inter-state road and subway routes that make it easy to travel from one country to the next.