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Philly's metro numbers get skewed by south Jersey and Delaware. Septa only covers about 3.5 mil ppl mainly in PA, but what it does cover, it covers relatively well. It's vastly underrated due, in part, to it's grimy reputation. It has the second busiest train station in America, and in it's core is probably only second to new York in public transit infrastructure and activity. It has several hubs that are very urban, and utilizes practically all forms of pt, like 69th St, Olney, Frankford, Norristown, and the massive underground stations in the city, Market East, Suburban, and 30 the St. When you see those ridership numbers, keep in mind that SEPTA has the smallest population converage on that list, and when when you see those percentages, just know that the ridership numbers are only out of about 3.5 mil and not 6.
I still think SF is the worst, I mean... SF is damn good, just out of the ones on the list it is the worse. But compare it to the next group, or anywhere west of the mississippi its teh best
Sure its totally unbiased voting, but those who have watched the discussion know it was started by a Philly booster attempting to paint SF as the worst of the six. Its just refreshing to see that there are some members including one from DC who know more about transit then you or I, who can present actual facts. And the fact is that Bay Area transit is far from the worst in the nation or even on that list of six.
I'm not sure why ridership numbers are that vital, nor is how many people own cars, or how many people walk to work. Better indicators would be how comprehensive it is, if it is properly placed with good surrounding development/attractions, hours of operation, how frequent the rides are, how safe and clean it is, and how many delays there are. If anybody knows how NYC/Boston/Chicago work...you'll know that ridership #'s always swell significantly in the summer for instance, and ridership at it's lowest in the winter.
That certainly might help explain the low transit usage in Chicago if that's where you're headed. We hear that Chicago has great buses and great trains but it's ridership per capita is closer to LA than DC or NY. As you suggest perhaps people are afraid of being mugged.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Easy
Makes sense. Chicago is one of the more violent big cities (LA and NY the safest) so its only natural for such fear to extend to transit. With better policing they might see ridership increase.
2Easy, did you read the following post that I initially quoted:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mraza9
LA does not have good public transport, period. No numbers or stats will support this fact. Public transportation in LA is primarily utilized by lower income groups who cannot afford and/or legally obtain a vehicle. In NYC, SF, DC, etc., whether you are a billionaire, or a pauper, PT is the most efficient method of transport. In LA, it is the opposite. LA should not be used in a discussion vis a vis PT. End of.
Now if mraza9 mentioned passengers who fit the profile of gangstas (completely unrelating to race or ethnicity), then that would be understandable, but he used the words "lower income groups who cannot afford and/or legally obtain a vehicle." He wrote a very classist and elist comment, which had absolutely NOTHING to do with crime or harassment whatsoever. Most "lower income people who cannont afford a vehicle" don't fit that "gangsta" profile and have no bad intentions. Infact, I'll bet that most of these "lower income people who cannont afford a vehicle" are just hardworking, everyday Americans who go to work everyday, do their jobs well, take care of their familiies, etc. But, you guys are not seeing that. No, you guys are just looking at the minority of people who do those bad things, and using those few people to generalize an entire group of people, mostly consisting of hardworking, productive, law abiding citizens who are trying to make ends meet and aren't bothering anyone.
So, can we please quit generalizing and stereotyping and judging people. It's absolutely ridiculous, very ignorant, and totally uncalled for.
One of the biggest problems with D.C.'s commuter rail system is getting a major boost. Weekend service from Baltimore to D.C. and vice versa is going to begin at the end of the year.
The purple line has been moving along pretty good also. Yesterday, O' Malley awarded the purple line $280 million dollars for final design. It will break ground in 2015. The Corridor Cities Transitway also got money for final design.
1. NYC
2. Chicago
3. Washington D.C.
4. Boston
5. Philadelphia
6. San Francisco
That's how I would rank them too - Really the only ones that are debatable are DC / Chicago at 2 / 3, and Philly / SF at 5 / 6.
The top 5 systems are pretty easy to rank, I think 6-10 or 6-15 is where it gets harder.
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