Heavy Rail Mass Transit | North America

[bhooley]

I grew up in Boston and have ridden NYC's, Philly's, DC's, Chicago's and San Fran's. I put NYC and DC as the two best I've ever been on. NYC's is pretty easy to use considering how huge and complex it is. DC is incredibly clean but the payment system is confusing as all heck.

Having said all that, I can understand why Boston is the 3rd best. For a city of it's size, no one else compares (except for DC but it gets a ton more federal money). Philly's is tough with so few stations where you can buy passes, and San Fran's is basically a scaled down Boston Commuter Rail.

Just my 2 cents.

[coyotetrickster]

I grew up in Boston and have ridden NYC's, Philly's, DC's, Chicago's and San Fran's. I put NYC and DC as the two best I've ever been on. NYC's is pretty easy to use considering how huge and complex it is. DC is incredibly clean but the payment system is confusing as all heck.

Having said all that, I can understand why Boston is the 3rd best. For a city of it's size, no one else compares (except for DC but it gets a ton more federal money). Philly's is tough with so few stations where you can buy passes, and San Fran's is basically a scaled down Boston Commuter Rail.

Just my 2 cents.

SF is a mix of trains, so you clearly didn't ride all of it if you compare it to Boston's Commuter Line. BART is the heavy rail line and is being expanded to bring San Jose into the system. MUNI is the light rail component most comparable to Boston's train system. Caltrain is the commuter rail system. Our biggest problem currently is the lack of westside service (xtown) and Marin's absence from BART. There is a lack of interoperability that is confusing for visitors but the MTA is working on that issue.

[atlrvr]

Boston has gotten rid of tokens at all Blue Line stations, and is currently updating most of the Red, Orange, and underground Green line stations.....most will be done by the end of the year, though I can't understand why Downtown Crossing isn't yet scheduled to be converted.

I kind of like the tokens, but the card works fine too....I just hate how you find used cards littered every where......same with Metro cards in NYC.

As I mentioned, Boston's system is a bit illogical, but it is fairly comprehensive, with the only real hole is the system South Boston, and the fact that the Red and Blue line's don't intersect.

[tocoto]

SF is very limited compared to Boston, not even in the same league and I have lived in both cities. The Boston subway system is very large, if you have taken one or two of the green lines you haven't seen much of it. The three big subway systes in the US are NYC, Chi and Boston followed by DC, Atlanta and SF which are more like the extensive commuter rail systems of the big three.

[bmorescottamanda]

Here's a scale comparison of North American local rail systems:

http://www.radicalcartography.net/?subways

[ctman987]

I voted for New York City. The subway system can you almost anywhere in five boroughs. I go to school at Manhattan College (in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, 242nd St & Broadway, the last stop on the 1). From the station right outside my school I go into Manhattan including into Times Square, Columbia University, Penn Station or the South Street Seaport by staying on the same line. I can also easily get to anywhere else in Manhattan as well as to Mets games in Queens, Staten Island or Brooklyn.

The New York subway can be confusing, but you slowly start to get a hold of things. Also when traveling to other cities users can take ths subway into Penn Station, Grand Central Station, Times Square and walk over to the Port Authority Bus Terminal or take the subway to one of the numerous Metro North or Long Island Railroad stations in city's five boroughs. From these locations you can go anywhere including New Haven, Hartford, Providence, Boston, Philadelpiha, Washington DC and Baltimore.

And as far as safety goes I have never truly felt my safety in danger. I have also ridden the 1 line through most of Manhattan and up through the Bronx at all hours of the night and have still felt safe.

[lebronstheman]

That is cool

[Lowerdeck]

DC is a very nice system, even though the payment system is bizarre. I'll be down there next week, while there I want to get another look at some of the system. The only time I was in DC, it was seven years ago. Need a refresher.

NYC is very comprehensive, especially going through Manhattan. I haven't really had that many security concerns, then again I've never taken subway outside Manhattan, never north of 42nd St stations, and on a handful of lines (1/3, A/E, 7/S - T Sq/GC St.)

Boston is the one I'm most familiar with and most frequent. There is historic value, definitely. The CharlieCards need some time for everyone to get acquainted with, yes. However, the bad things about Boston are mostly the Green Line ... which I'm most familiar with and frequently use. B line is terrible to the slow nature thanks to overabundance of stops. With B and E (and probably C, but I never been on C) ... the fact it runs on surface streets instead of its own track ... really bad. I hope someday those problems are alleviated.

[JDC]

I really miss Boston-area transit. I loved being able to take the commuter rail from 1/4 mile from my dorm to South Station, walk through Downtown Crossing to Park Street, and take the B line all the way to Allston for band practice. That was in the days of tokens. I've used the CharlieCard system once. It's great. You can get any dollar amount's worth of rides and it lasts for a year and a half.

They can't even get a light rail system off the ground here in the Raleigh-Durham area.

[Lowerdeck]

I really miss Boston-area transit. I loved being able to take the commuter rail from 1/4 mile from my dorm to South Station, walk through Downtown Crossing to Park Street, and take the B line all the way to Allston for band practice. That was in the days of tokens. I've used the CharlieCard system once. It's great. You can get any dollar amount's worth of rides and it lasts for a year and a half.

They can't even get a light rail system off the ground here in the Raleigh-Durham area.

[maverick]

From the ones I have ridden:

(1) Boston

(2) NYC

(3) DC

(4) Atlanta

The fact is, though, if the state of Georgia actually funded MARTA and developed the many ideas that organizations have had for transit, it could EASILY be 10x better and perhaps even challenge Boston and NYC for top honors. There really is that much potential and money out there to do this.

[H0wl]

I love Boston. The city is so small and the subway covers pretty much the whole city. I have never had a problem with it. I'd love to vote for my "favorite", the Chicago EL, but, let's face it...it just doesn't cut it.

[TheBostonian]

I love Boston. The city is so small and the subway covers pretty much the whole city.

[H0wl]

Cool, thanks for that link.

[RON-E]

out of the metro systems i have been on in that particular list, i would have to go 100% with DC. I absolutley loved this system, it had everything i love about metros in it. ease of access, clean on the trains, fast, gets you most everywhere in the city, and new lines under construction or development!

[phoenixnc]

I'll say NYC... I've only ridden Chicago and DC.

NY has the best density of stations and you can go pretty much anywhere. I didn't feel unsafe, but the stations REALLY need to be cleaned and have better lighting installed. There is so much charm with the old stations and low ceilings, but they have to be cleaned and redone to stay in the future.

Chicago's was good, but less convienient and it seemed very slow as well. I've heard there are a lot of problems with the tracks there.

DC was easily the cleanest, but it felt sterile. When I was in town, a student was taken into custody for eating on the subway. It also didn't serve the areas I wanted to go... it seemed more for tourists than actual residents, and the payment system was confusing.

[runawayjim]

DC was easily the cleanest, but it felt sterile. When I was in town, a student was taken into custody for eating on the subway.

[chazman]

Chicago's was good, but less convienient and it seemed very slow as well. I've heard there are a lot of problems with the tracks there.

[vitaviatic]

This is an interesting poll, but it really is kinda like comparing oranges and tangerines. Not to split hairs here, but while these systems are indeed similar, their missions are often quite different. You really would have to judge on the separate merits.

Volume + utility = NYC (hands down)

Speed/distance + geophysical bridging = Bay Area's BART (hands down)

Architecture + ambience = LA Metro Red Line

"Quirky" old timey feel = Boston MBTA

My personal favorite however is Montreal (yeah, I know) because it has a more "Euro" feel to it, but more importantly because of the way it interacts with the Ville Souterraine. Like Tokyo (my worldwide favorite), you could literally live in the thing and not want for much (other than sunlight). While most American systems seem to go out of their way to strip riders of conveniences, these two systems make retail and services a part of the structure, and in so doing add life and income into the public transit systems. Montreal is unique in developing density by utilizing underground space in this way (Atlanta too, but Underground is much smaller, and tourist-oriented).

Also, I've noticed a lot of bloggers selling BART short (it doesn't go many places in SF). No, but Muni does. And the way they incorporated the streetcars on the second-level of the Market St. line deserves kudos. You have to view a system in context of its connectivity to other systems also, at which BART is tops (except for that noted Marin County problem).

[xivinrah]

I voted atlanta, because of the new rail line that will connect all of it's surrounding neighborhoods that do not fall along the north-south rail line and east-west rail line. The belt line will basically be another efficient means of taking the cars off of the highways, roadways, and other major thoroughfares. Not to mention, nearly every station will be surrounded by mixed use developments, (hopefully they won't suffer the drug-lord take over of Atlantic Station), but in many of these areas, undoubtedly the might possibly be, but hey... during the day, all of those things you won't really have to worry about.

It will be convenient, and will be the largest "new" rail line development in North America. While other cities this size already have established rail systems, this opens a new window of opportunity for Atlanta to express itself in terms of architectural design for its stations, it's rail layout, and most importantly to display it's effectiveness in making Atlanta much more connected than it is. My vote was based more so upon potential. I know not of the rail systems of the other cities, but I wouldn't want to be on anything dingy, dark, and outdated -- when I think of that image, I stereotypically think of NY and Chicago. Not sure if I am wrong or right.