Best Mass Transit City

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mass88

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I am curious what you feel to be the city that has the best transit system.

It could be any city on Earth.
 
Best in what sense? Coverage? Quality? Affordability? Speed?

I actually wrote a paper on this exact subject when I was an intern at the Port Authority of NY and NJ. I don't have it on me right now but I think Tokyo was up there, Madrid too. Keep in mind that NYC's subway is one of the only systems in the WORLD which is 24 hours. There is a lot to quantify.
 
Madrid was one of the best I've visited (never been to Tokyo). There was absolutely nowhere I couldn't get to via subway. It covers the metro area well far beyond the core of the city. It probably loses points because it's not nearly as large as Tokyo, Paris, London or New York. Still, I don't know if I've been to a city where public transportation was as extensive and as easy to use. I never once thought, "well maybe I'll get a cab" or "I wish I had a car for this." Those thoughts have come to mind more than once in New York and London and just about every other city I've been to.

Madrid gets my vote.
 
I've only been on a handful, but I did like London's for its expansiveness. I've heard it's quality has suffered during the past decade or more, but it always worked well for me.
 
I was quite impressed by Paris's RER and Metro when I visited in 1984, and they've only gotten bigger, better, and faster since then.
 
FutureMBTA. I'm not sure where it is, but it looks good. Anyone ever heard of it?! :O
 
I can't see any city beating Tokyo, or really coming close. Some have said that Paris has greater transit density in the center city, but even if true this advantage is vastly outweighed by the size and scope of Tokyo's regional network.

NYC gets points for being 24/7, although every time I've used it past midnight there has been some or other horribly inconvenient line closure due to maintenance, with no adequate system of notification...8x11" pieces of paper scotch taped to the subway walls?
 
blade_bltz said:
although every time I've used it past midnight there has been some or other horribly inconvenient line closure due to maintenance, with no adequate system of notification...8x11" pieces of paper scotch taped to the subway walls?
Click to expand...

That is the trade off.
 
vanshnookenraggen said:
Best in what sense? Coverage? Quality? Affordability? Speed?

I actually wrote a paper on this exact subject when I was an intern at the Port Authority of NY and NJ. I don't have it on me right now but I think Tokyo was up there, Madrid too. Keep in mind that NYC's subway is one of the only systems in the WORLD which is 24 hours. There is a lot to quantify.
Click to expand...

I am talking about the quality of it. As in coverage, cleanliness, efficiency, technology use, etc.

I think London has a top notch system. I have been able to get pretty much anywhere I needed via the Tube. The stations are pretty clean and nice and the trains move fast.

NYC has the best system in the U.S. only because it is the most expansive and it runs 24/7.
 
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