Which US city has the best transit system?

Europe and Asia are often heralded for their public transportation systems, but certain cities in the U.S. are catching on &#; offering train and bus systems that are easy to use, affordable, and safe. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation use increased by 16 percent from to , boasting a ridership of 7.1 billion total trips in .

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Walk Score, a subsidiary of Redfin that helps people determine how walkable or public-transport accessible an address is, analyzed 130 U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or greater. It then ranked the city&#;s public transportation system on a 100-point scale, taking into account things like route frequency, the distance between stops, and the mode of transit, with trains weighted higher than buses. The source data comes from but the analysis still provides a relatively up-to-date look at U.S. public transportation today.

At the top of the list was New York City with a Walk Score transit rating of 88.8 out of a possible 100. The New York Subway is both affordable ($2.90 a ride, for most) and accessible (there are 472 stations in total). It is bolstered by 238 bus routes along with two commuter metro systems: the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad.

7 Line Subway train in Queens with Manhattan skyline, New York City.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), more than 3.6 million people on average rode the New York City subway on weekdays in , while more than one million used the bus system. Gothamist reported that in to date, &#;the subway has already carried more than 4 million daily riders on 38 different days so far this year.&#;

New York City&#;s transit system is so good, that the No. 2 city on the list, San Francisco, is a full 11.5 points behind it with a transit score of 77.1. The West Coast destination is known for its cable cars, which are supported by buses and trains operated by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (Muni). 

San Francisco is one of just two West Coast cities that made the list; Seattle is No. 9.

The Walk Score list is otherwise heavily dominated by East Coast cities, including Boston; Jersey City, New Jersey; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia. Chicago is the only Midwest city on the list.

The full list is below:

1. New York (Transit Score: 88.6)
2. San Francisco (Transit Score: 77.1)
3. Boston (Transit Score: 72.4)
4. Jersey City, New Jersey (Transit Score: 70.5)
5. Washington, D.C. (Transit Score: 68.7)
6. Philadelphia (Transit Score: 67)
7. Newark, New Jersey (tie) (Transit Score: 65)
8. Chicago (tie) (Transit Score: 65)
9. Seattle (Transit Score: 59.6)
10. Arlington, Virginia (Transit Score: 58.6)
    

Knowing how you'll get around your new hometown is vital before hiring movers to take you there. To help, the ConsumerAffairs Research Team investigated and ranked the nation&#;s 50 largest cities to see which have the best public transit systems. The analysis is based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation&#;s National Transit Database , and it takes into account how useful, safe, affordable and efficient transit services are in the nation&#;s top cities.

&#;While the importance of living near public transportation has been on an upswing for homebuyers, the importance of commute times has stayed relatively steady. That could indicate buyers are interested in public transit for more than just their trips to the office and back.&#;

&#;Living near public transportation is more important to today&#;s buyers and renters than it&#;s been in at least the past several years. Still, it&#;s likely not the deciding factor for many movers &#; more say living in a walkable neighborhood, living near leisure amenities and living near family are important to them,&#; Zillow senior economist Nicole Bachaud told ConsumerAffairs.

In , only 30% of buyers said a new home&#;s proximity to public transit was &#;very important&#; or &#;extremely important,&#; according to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report . But in , 43% said so &#; the largest increase of any neighborhood characteristic. Thirty-seven percent of renters said living near public transportation was &#;very important&#; or &#;extremely important,&#; the highest level in the past six years. While many people may want to be close to public transit for career purposes, the benefits may extend beyond work.

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One factor people consider when looking for a new home is how easy it is to get around. Driving and walking are the most common modes of transportation, but prospective buyers and renters are also increasingly considering public transportation.

Transit is affordable. The average transit trip in the nation&#;s largest cities costs $2.56 one way, even when accounting for varying prices by distance, peak hours and monthly passes.

Transit is safe. The average rate of major safety events across the 50 largest U.S. cities&#; transit systems is 3 per 1 million miles traveled by transit vehicles.

Good transit spans the country. Among large cities, the top 20 for transit include locations on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, the South, the Mountain West, the Midwest and along the Great Lakes.

Bigger isn&#;t always better. While the country&#;s most populous metro area, New York City, had the highest-scoring transit system, second place went to the much smaller San Francisco metro area. Only three of the top 10 transit systems are in the nation&#;s top 10 most populous cities.

Top 10 cities with the best public transit

Some advantages of public transit systems include their eco-friendliness, shorter commute times and connectability. Transit vehicles emit far fewer greenhouse gases per passenger mile than a regular car, and you don&#;t have to fight traffic yourself or pay for parking at your destination. Transit lines also usually connect, making longer trips possible, such as weekend getaways.

Personal advantages abound, too. Riding on local public transit can allow you to see diverse neighborhoods and meet other people you share the city with. Relieved from driving, you can also rest, read or otherwise relax during the journey.

Artificial intelligence can also make public transit systems more efficient and save riders time by analyzing different routes and schedules to get you to your destination faster and without as much of a hassle.

A report from the International Association of Public Transport found AI offers the potential to adjust transit services in real time, responding to heavy traffic, heavy ridership and sudden emergencies. The report found that AI systems can also help users plan journeys that combine multiple stops and interconnecting services and adapt fares to meet specific goals for both revenue and equity. They can also save agencies money by optimizing fuel efficiency and maintenance services.

Since that report came out, the U.S. federal government has spent millions of dollars helping transit agencies around the country develop AI systems that aim to improve service, reliability and cost in transit systems. The starting point for many of the nation&#;s most populous cities is already quite good &#; but there is still much room for improvement everywhere.

Here&#;s how the cities stacked up:

1. New York, New York

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 144.2
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 51.4%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 13.07 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per trip: $1.75

The nation&#;s most populous metro area is served by a large number of transit agencies, with trains and buses covering the five boroughs of New York City itself, as well as areas well into New Jersey, Connecticut and downstate New York. While the average fare revenue is higher than most, it&#;s still cheaper per trip than in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York.

2. San Francisco, California

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 53.6
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 97%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 13.91 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.63

With the third-worst commuter traffic in the nation, San Francisco residents might be desperate for other ways to get around. Fortunately, Bay Area Rapid Transit connects the city with its suburbs, and the Muni bus and train system &#; including the city&#;s famous cable cars &#; gets people around the city itself. There are also free shuttles to get people to and from public parks.

3. Los Angeles, California

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 29
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 16.48 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: 49 cents

Los Angeles, well known as a sprawling car-oriented metropolis, has a transit system that doesn&#;t get as much use per capita as other cities&#; services. However, it&#;s one of the safest and most affordable transit systems nationwide.

4. Richmond, Virginia

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 8.5
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 18.27 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: 24 cents

With free local bus fares across the city, including high-speed buses with some dedicated lanes that provide service every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, Richmond&#;s public transit system is safer and more efficient than many other large cities&#; services. Unfortunately, it is used less frequently than any other system mentioned in our top 10 list.

5. San Diego, California

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 21
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 14.74 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.10

A new safety initiative, expanded service and upcoming investments in new vehicles, including electric buses, are drawing riders to San Diego&#;s trolleys and buses, which serve the downtown area and the surrounding communities.

6. San Antonio, Texas

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 12.6
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 18.44 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: 58 cents

San Antonio&#;s bus service spans the city and is set to expand in the coming years. The agency that runs it, VIA Metropolitan Transit, is also working to make its service schedules and maps more comprehensible to prospective users. The city is also considering new zoning rules that would make denser housing along high-capacity bus lines easier for developers to build.

7. Boston, Massachusetts

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 47.5
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 78%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 14.57 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.63

In Boston, a city well known for confounding even local drivers with one-way streets and hairpin turns, it&#;s tempting to let someone else handle navigation. Even with a relatively expensive average fare and incomplete ADA compliance at stations, the city&#;s MBTA trains and buses are relied on more heavily than transit vehicles in other large cities.

8. Seattle, Washington

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 36.7
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 99.1%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 14.52 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.57

Seattle&#;s public transit system, which includes buses, trains, and ferries, links its suburbs, downtown area and nearby islands. In , the city is asking voters to raise their taxes to pay for a 20-year transportation plan that includes pothole repair and expanded transit services.

9. Washington, D.C.

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 36.7
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 15.41 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.29

The D.C. area&#;s roads are so famously congested that people joke there is no rush hour at all &#; except all the time. Fortunately, the Metro system encompasses trains, buses and subways run by city officials and state and local agencies in neighboring Maryland and Virginia.

10. Salt Lake City, Utah

• Annual public transit trips per metro area resident: 26.7
• Share of stations ADA-compliant: 100%
• Safety score (combining fatalities and serious injuries): 11.83 out of 20
• Average fare revenue per one-way trip: $1.07

Bus and rail lines crisscross the city and the surrounding county. The city&#;s plans for transit expansion call for additional services by and are being used to tempt Olympic officials to consider it as a location for the Winter Games.

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