Favorite type of Mass transit

[H0wl]

Voted heavy rail...gotta love the CTA EL!

[RON-E]

i will go with what seems to be the fan fav, subways

i have been fascinated by subways and how they function and every aspect of them since i was a little guy.

i have even created a website about mass transit (wont post link here though because its a forum and dont want to get in trouble )

i just love subways

[Gard]

I went with subways. There is just a thrill about them for me that none of the others offer. I just love how it takes off and speeds up quickly, along with the clackering it makes going down the tracks!

[senatormatt]

there is nothing in comparance to heavy rail. they have the absolute right-of-way and the actual potential to bring passengers faster to their destination than an automobile. look at the situation in new york. i've never been on the washington metro but that also seems to be the most reasonable option for the region.

here - stuck in houston - we have the most pathetic example of mass transit than any major city in the united states. there is not a single word to be said about this 7.5 mile autoricty other than saying its been the greatest hit of any light rail line in the country, at 43,000 passenger boardings last year. while this seems like a lot, 7.5 miles in houston goes no where.

[monsoon]

^There is nothing preventing LRT to built partially or fully on its own ROW. The new system in Charlotte is like that. Houston is to be commended for what they did as they built that system without federal money and despite attempts from Texas politicans to kill it.

[Raintree21]

I like all rail lines but I just like the idea of subways better. Perhaps it's something like the saying "out of sight, out of mind" adds a little mystique to it. And of course, if it's underground, it doesn't take up any surface space except for entrances to the stations themselves.

[JDC]

i've never been on the washington metro but that also seems to be the most reasonable option for the region.

[senatormatt]

^There is nothing preventing LRT to built partially or fully on its own ROW. The new system in Charlotte is like that. Houston is to be commended for what they did as they built that system without federal money and despite attempts from Texas politicans to kill it.

[Twoaday]

I had to go with Heavy Rail because it's come in handy the most often (though the EL is a close second). I've taken the Amtrak to Chicago and across country. The Metra to Chicago.. And lines from NYC to the distant burbs. But I think LRT has a lot of potential especially the way it was built in Charlotte, NC.

[totheskies]

I love heavy rail (at least the three times that I've gotten to ride it), but I like the flexibility of a light-rail based system... especially when it is blended with elements of heavy rail. For areas like Houston and Dallas, it makes perfect sense. Have a below grade portion for areas of very high vehicle traffic, then keep it at grade to travel through the many pockets of lower density. I hope, hope hope that some of the US metros start to figure this out!!!

[InitialD]

My favorite is heavy rail/subway. I've had wonderful experiences using the Yamanote line and the Metro in Tokyo, MTA in Hong Kong, and MARTA in Atlanta.

Second would be light rail and streetcar. I frequent the LYNX light rail here in Charlotte, and have used the MTA light rail line in Baltimore, the TESCO trolley in Tampa, and my favorite, the Trams on Hong Kong Island.

Buses are okay. I've ridden them in Charlotte and Atlanta (occasionally scary), and have ridden city buses in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kingston Jamaica, and San Juan Puerto Rico. I can see why buses get such a bad rap in the U.S. versus overseas.

Ferries should count as mass transit. The Star Ferry in Hong Kong is the best!

[Nyaos]

The Tokyo subway system was incredible, especially the huge stations like Shinjuku. Actually half of it is above ground too.

[Granduca87]

I know my opinion may seem bland, but I am all about the busiest commuter railroad in North America, the Long Island Railroad. This venerable commuter rail recently celebrated its 175th anniversary bearing the same name it did at its inception. There is just something about the thunderous descent into New York's Pennsylvania Station through century-old tunnels beneath the Hudson River that is simply awe-inspiring. It's fast, powerful, and has a character all its own, from the Knicks and Islander fans who throng it on the way home from a game at the Garden, to the plumbers and carpenters who occupy its early morning journeys. Also, the relatively new M7 cars by Bombardier have upgraded its sexiness altogether, though kept its very simple silver hull.

[The Voice of Reason]

LIRR is one of the best systems in the world. This may be partly because of geography and demographics, but its the best regardless.

I think there can be no right answer here, but as an opinion poll I suppose thats appropriate.

There are places that subway are appropriate and nothing else. There are places where commuter rail is appropriate and nothing else.

there are places where only light rail or trollys would work.

also within a city each item only works in certain ways and works best in conjunction with other methods.

The LIRR, Metro North, or PATH all work wonders, but what makes them so great is their intergation with the subway.

BART is a great commuter system that pretends to be a subway in Oakland and downtown SF. this sustem is great, but it depends on the trollys to get to the places it can not.

Some cities can not support a true subway like Rome, Moscow or NY.

Most decent sized cities should have a commuter rail however coupled with either a trolly, a light rail. it all depends on the geography size and density of a city.

[hagetaka]

Any kind of transportation is good, the newer the better, heavy rail is fun, the trains in Miami work.