Who has a better transportation system?

[ChicagoJake]

NY, LA, Chicago are the big three that would be cool to include by default in a poll.

But if you were looking for "nicest" transportation overall I can see why.

NY, LA, Chicago are just the most densely populated and largest metropolitan areas. Adding other cities would start from there in my book.

Mass transit in Chicago sucks by the way. And the administration is threatening to cut services severely if the financial system isn't restructured to favor it more in the coming budget.

But if you don't have a car in Miami you can't live a normal life...

[monsoon]

[antonyj11]

Although D.C's system is fairly nice, extensive and clean. It cannot compare with New York for the sheer size and volume of passengers. New York's transit system is absolutely vital to the city and almosts defines the city in a way. You cannot think of New York without its subway.

I'm from Detroit - a metropolitan area of over 5 million people that has NO mass transit (unless you count the useless peoplemover. I think one of the reasons that downtown Detroit is so stagnant is the fact that there is no mass transit there.

[josita]

NY, LA, Chicago are the big three that would be cool to include by default in a poll. 

Mass transit in Chicago sucks by the way.    And the administration is threatening to cut services severely if the financial system isn't restructured to favor it more in the coming budget.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why didn't Chicago make the list? The transit system is not the best, but it should be worthy enough to make the list?

I find the coverage by Chicago's heavy rail system fairly lacking for a city of Chicago's size.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, the whole problem is that the funding for the Chicago Transit System (CTA) severely benefits the suburb and collar county regions over the City. When the president of the CTA came on in 1997 that is the first thing that he noted and said that it will be a severe problem in the future, ie today. He has threatened to fire people and cut services until the IL general assembly makes some agreements to change things to help balance the budget deficit .. which apparently is what is going to happen.

But the CTA has done a lot in the last few years to really make transit an enjoyable experience and I wouldn't say that it sucks here in the City ... it depends on your experience. What made your experience on Chicago transit so bad?

[Neo]

When I lived in Chicago I did not have a car and I got around just fine. Granted I lived right downtown, one block from the Chicago Red Line stop, but it was very easy to go to the grocery store, entertainment, airport, etc. via rail. I did take the bus a lot though as rail is a bit lacking in Chicago, and I hated climbing the stairs to take the El. The El, IMO, is cumbersome to use. Chicago really isn't that bad, you can get most places without a hitch, but you may have to take the bus.

[wolfdawg54]

But if you don't have a car in Miami you can't live a normal life...

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That is not neccessarliy true. Miami has a decent mass transit system that will get better with the new Bay Link. They have the metromover, metroliner, and the new Bay Link.

[Urban_Legend]

^Actually, it's MetroRail, not Metroliner. But I like the sound of "Metroliner" Perhaps the planned streetcar system could be called Metroliner.....

[wolfdawg54]

^Actually, it's MetroRail, not Metroliner.  But I like the sound of "Metroliner"  Perhaps the planned streetcar system could be called Metroliner.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, I just plain forgot the name of the rail system, but it does sound good. Maybe Jacksonville could do something with light rail and call it metroliner...I wish!! But thanks for keeping me on my toes.

[CT-KID]

hey guys, this is my first post, but anyways...i voted for NYC, ive never been to miami but i voted for NYC because of the subway system that is very conveniant and traffic in LA is crazy on the highways, even more than NYC, and also DC has crazy traffic on their highways too, but it seems like NYC has less.

[josita]

When I lived in Chicago I did not have a car and I got around just fine.  Granted I lived right downtown, one block from the Chicago Red Line stop, but it was very easy to go to the grocery store, entertainment, airport, etc. via rail.  I did take the bus a lot though as rail is a bit lacking in Chicago, and I hated climbing the stairs to take the El.  The El, IMO, is cumbersome to use.  Chicago really isn't that bad, you can get most places without a hitch, but you may have to take the bus.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes... the Red Line is very convenient.

But you're right Neo, buses are the network of the city and I would much more enjoy a more extensive rail system .. there are still unused rail systems from the railroad era tha sit growing weeds year after year ... but the EL is the nicest on the Brown line where on the north side of the city it runs on the ground and makes hardly any noise .. not like the elevated in the Loop !! aye!

[Urban_Legend]

Welcome to the boards, CT-KID! Come check out the Florida forums, where we have alot going on! It's always good to see new faces....er...new screenames....

[Justin]

Out of the 4 system?

New York City, by far.

The Transit usage is roughly 44%.

The Second Ave. Subway is slated to cost 17 Billion

[jinkin]

Miami has a tri-rail and monrail system. If you really want to know more about Miami, Brickell is probably the one who will be able to explain it better. As for me, I chose New York because I think it has the best transportation system overall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that miami monorail is something else. a little freaky when you're the only one on it at night on its last run and there isn't even a driver on it. however, it is fairly convenient, at least for what my needs were when i was there.

overall i voted for dc. i'm biased because i'm from the area, but all in all i think it's a pretty fantastic and fairly clean system. easy to navigate too.

[demon]

One thing I like about DC's metro system though is that they have stations that reach well out into the suburbs, which means that you could stay at a fairly cheap motel in Alexandria and commute to downtown. NYC's only within the 4 inner boroughs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I voted for NYC. I don't know why Chicago was left out in favor of Miami.

Mass transit in NYC does not only cover 4 bouroughs. You can catch a PATH train into NJ, LIRR into Long Island, or the Staten Island ferry.

Off the record I liked Toronto's system.

[SoMAtic]

what the heck is miami doing in there?

the choices are WAAY too limited for that city to be included

[Spartan]

Doesn't Miami have 3 separate rail systems?

Metrorail, Metromover (monorail), and TriCounty Rail.

You can only do so much with a city that is 15 miles wide as its widest point.

[Brickell]

Metrorail is the elevated heavy rail system serving Dade County, Metromover is an elevated light rail line serving downtown. Both are part of Miami-Dade transit. Tri-rail is a commuter rail serving all 3 counties of the metro: Dade, Broward, Palm Beach. It has a transfer stop at metrorail line and is run by a regional transtportation agency.

I wouldn't put it on par with DC or NYC or Chicago.

With several planned expansions coming up though, we're working on it.

[Benhamin]

NYC has the best overall transportation network of the cities listed. One thing that hasn't been pointed out yet is that the roads in NYC are designed to divert traffic primarily around the city, not directly through it (i.e. Jersey Pike, Graden State Parkway, and I-287). Yes I-95 goes though Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, but that is designed to move traffic both into the city and towards southern New England.

DC has a very good mass transit system and adequate road design to direct all of the east coast traffic around the city, and they are making wonderful improvements to this system. Question for DC forumers, are they going to replace the drawbridge over the Potomic (sp), or just replace it with another drawbridge, because I have heard both. This is the worst thing about DC's roads, imo.

I don't know much about LA's transportation system, but I don't hear anything good about it, except the massive capacity of it's freeways (which can hurt a city) and I hear it has a good bus system.

Miami? Give me a break, their system is a disaster, but getting better. I hope that the monorail and other transit projects help here, because travelling in or through Miami is no fun at all.

Other cities should be included in this debate, such as Boston, Philly, the Bay Area, and Chicago. They all have better systems than the last two cities in this poll.

[kermag]

DC has an awesome transport network, good freeway, mass transit mix; New York is great for mass transit, but driving into Manhatten is not pleasant. Wish Dallas had a mass transit system like the northern cities do. It does seem as though Chicago, and San Fransisco should have been added to the mix because Miami and Los Angeles are just horrible in terms of transportation planning.

[ironchapman]

I voted for DC. I like how it covers all of the area's importantpoints on a few lines.

I've been to NYC twice, and I didn't like having to tak.e so many lines just to get where I was going.

[Recchia]

NYC and SF aren't the only places in the U.S. you can get around car free. Boston's system is excellent and can get you around the city and also to almost every suburb via commuter rail.

Where there's not a subway/light rail line, there's a bus that'll get you around pretty well. The only flaw with it is that it shuts down at 1am everynight, although they do have late night buses that run parallel to the subway lines.

[ironchapman]

Nice system, very complex.

Atlanta needs something like that.

[Neo]

NYC and SF aren't the only places in the U.S. you can get around car free.  Boston's system is excellent and can get you around the city and also to almost every suburb via commuter rail.

I beg to differ. I lived in Chicago for several months without a car and got along quit comfortably. Not once during my stay there did I ever wish I had a car. Where the subway and commuter lines don't take you, the CTA city bus and PACE system will.

[DetroitBazaar]

Picked NY, but Chicago's isn't too shabby. I also like what Portland Oregon is doing. It's efficient but most importantly because of the style of train they use, it should be cheaper to operate- And they have no fare zones!

[Benhamin]

I beg to differ.  I lived in Chicago for several months without a car and got along quit comfortably.  Not once during my stay there did I ever wish I had a car.  Where the subway and commuter lines don't take you, the CTA city bus and PACE system will.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So... what are you differing about? As far as I can tell, your quote had nothing to do with Boston.