US/Canada 5 most Iconic Transit systems (map, best, state, better)

[Ikari_Warrior_Danju]

I would say NYC and San Francisco's trolleys.

[the resident09]

Originally Posted by The_Quiet_One

The NYC subway system we know today started in 1904, but the nation's first underground transit line (all 300 feet of it) opened in NYC in 1870 (Beach Pneumatic Transit), a little before Boston's subway.

And Washington's Metro may only date to 1976, but DC's first subway system dates to 1909. The US Capitol's little subway system opened in 1909 and has been used and expanded continuously for over 100 years, making it one of the oldest in the nation. But I wouldn't consider it iconic, except maybe to the few people on Capitol Hill who use it.

Yea I don't think the age of a system is an automatic determinant of being iconic. Boston T transit is certainly historic, but that doesn't mean a system created after it with a more elaborate design couldn't become more iconic than it.

[the resident09]

Originally Posted by ThinkPositiveRespect

This Iconic debate is as kids debating whose is Bigger. It is as homerism as it comes.

NYC's has. Its scope and vastness with history.
Aspects of others in their cities evolution. Yes. But compared to some of the Grandiose beauties of Europe to Moscow's and the ultra-modern new systems of Asia. NO WAY OUR OURZ ICONIC IN THAT SENSE.
Let's be reasonable guys. Sorry DC and Boston boosters. Yours are not iconic vs othefs in the world. GET A GRIP...

Nothing scientific about a boasterism over emphasized.

I have been on over 20 transit systems in the world, including London, Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Vienna, Barcelona, Madrid and a dozen others. I'd probably put the DC Metro in the top 5 of iconic systems by design that I have rode in the world still to this day, at worst top 10. I don't think this is boosting anything to say this. I firmly believe this based on where I've been. I would not consider the T in Boston (by design) on the same level of being iconic architecturally.

We're not boosting the DC Metro, you guys are severely undervaluing it's iconic nature. I think it's no worse than 2nd and quite honestly by design the most iconic underground subway system in the US. So it absolutely competes from that standpoint globally.

Now for above ground, the El and the SF cable cars too are very iconic, as well as the portions of MTA above ground.

[NW4me]

NY subway
Chicago El
SF cable car

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by btownboss4

I’m not talking about ridership or usefulness or reliability I mean which cities Transit systems have the most association with the city. Like if you had an opening montage of establishing shots in a movie which ones would transit system first?

IMO it’s
1) New York
2) Chicago
3) San Francisco
4) New Orleans
5) Boston

And for SF the less useful parts of its transit system are most iconic

I would say this list is pretty good... except Boston. Of course, many are aware Boston opened the first subway in America. But aside from that fact, do they even know what it looks like? In any major depiction of Boston -- Old North Church, Charles River, the old Harbor, Beacon Hill, patriot/minutemen, Quincy Market, Bunker Hill, ... Harvard (yeah, it's Cambridge, but still...), is rail transit, in any form, on that list? I say no... The first 4, absolutely. Their distinctive rail lines are a sigificant part of their host cities' images... In Boston? no.

I would add the DC Metro. Sure, its new and not as entrenched as the others, but in its short life it has a visual impact with a lot of people, esp those iconic honeycomb-arched subway stations.

Here are a couple other quirky ones where, even though these are smaller cities and less known to the public; those who do know them do often associate their unique transit modes to them:

Dayton: trolleybuses. 1 of only 5 US cities that still runs them ... and lots of them, in terms of number of lines; route miles, but by far the smallest of the 5.

Morgantown, WV. Yes, home of West Virginia University, but also the experimental test ground of Personalized Rapid Transit (PRT); small, driver-less computer controlled rapid transit cars on concrete fixed guideways, often elevated. Morgantown's PRT was built in the 1970s as an experiment shuttling students, faculty, visitors, etc., between WVU's 2 campuses, the medical center and downtown Morgantown.. This system provided the framework for people mover systems at large airports and a few downtowns, like Detroit and Miami, the latter being the far more successful. . . The Morgantown system was experimental, but nearly 50 years its free, 3.6 mile line is still going strong, moving 16K people on an average weekday. It has become iconic for Morgantown; a must see tourist attraction for some.

[Losfrisco]

Originally Posted by btownboss4

I’m not talking about ridership or usefulness or reliability I mean which cities Transit systems have the most association with the city. Like if you had an opening montage of establishing shots in a movie which ones would transit system first?

IMO it’s
1) New York
2) Chicago
3) San Francisco
4) New Orleans
5) Boston

And for SF the less useful parts of its transit system are most iconic

If this is the criteria, then SF would win easily as a train in Chicago could easily be mistaken for a train in NYC. What about the subway in NYC makes it iconic by appearance? Can't think of anything.

[KodeBlue]

I'd say DC's Metro is more recognizable than The Boston T just based on the subway stations alone. It can't be mistaken for anywhere else.

A lot of Boston and Philly stations (even more so) look like NYC Subway stations.

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by the resident09

The thread is about iconic transit lines.

I don't know what is iconic about Boston or Philly's systems, ...

nothing. there really aint nothing iconic about n.y.c. subway either. its just that when a random person from the middle of the united states sees a picture of a washington, d.c. train, they will incorrectly guess its on the new york transit line.

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by stanley-88888888

nothing. there really aint nothing iconic about n.y.c. subway either. its just that when a random person from the middle of the united states sees a picture of a washington, d.c. train, they will incorrectly guess its on the new york transit line.

Yeah, kinda true. Like I said earlier, I’ve been to DC a few times and didn’t realize DC had any kind of subway system. I certainly wouldn’t recognize a DC station on sight.

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by TheProf

I would say this list is pretty good... except Boston. Of course, many are aware Boston opened the first subway in America. ...

something like 5 years ago the new york times ran a front page headline celebrating the centennial birth of the subway. the next day the boston globe ran a headline that they were about 25 years too late.

Originally Posted by KodeBlue

...
A lot of Boston and Philly stations (even more so) look like NYC Subway stations.

well technically, a lot of n.y.c. subway stations look like boston since park street was the first <@.