What Makes a Perfect Transit System

We talk about transit systems all around the world on RMTransit, but today, we talk about what would make the *perfect* rapid transit system!

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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!

Reece (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.

[marksman]

Public washrooms are something that needs to be more wide spread on systems. Most people travel long distance and relying on surrounding areas shops is not reliable, especially outside of regular business hours.

[transitspace]

Lyon, the third largest city in France, also has an almost perfect system for a city of its size. Fast and frequent metro (driverless on MB and MD) on the busiest corridors, modern European tramways on less but still busy corridors (T3 even has passing loops!), tram-trains, IMC trolleybuses rapid transit, funicular, HSR connections, and all fully accessible and well connected with an amazing map and signage. It is constantly evolving with under construction extensions and new lines, retrofit driverless operation on MB and soon MA, PSDs are also planned for the next few years. Lyon lacks a suburban rail system, but fortunately, a proper RER system is already under planning.

[James-bpuc]

Good ticketing is underrated in transit.

Being able to just tap in and go with a contactless bank card is a lifesaver in London

[JaapFilius]

Nice video. I didn't know public transport in Paris is so good nowadays. I was there long ago (about 30 years ago that is) and back than the Metro was fast and efficient but dirty and the buses were slow. The tram at that time had only one short line (T1) which had just opened. Two years ago I was very surprised when I visited Prague for the first time: that town has also very high quality and very easy to use public transport (they offer all information and on-line ticketsale in English as well). To me Public transport in Prague is a winner in compare with other towns its size.

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

It's not quite the perfect system, but for me, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail comes to mind with how a good light rail system should be. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stretches across Hudson County (though it doesn't go to Bergen County...yet) in NJ. The light rail opened back in 2000 and the system has been a catalyst for transit-oriented development. It boosted the popularity of Newport Centre Mall which is the only major mall in Hudson County and is the most popular HBLR stop. Plus, it further helps people connect with other services like NJT commuter rail at Hoboken Terminal, NY Waterway ferries, and the PATH at Newport, Hoboken, and Exchange Place.

It tries to replicate the success of the former North Hudson County Railway, which was a complex streetcar network that connected Journal Square in Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Union City. However, a portion of Hudson County is a line of pretty steep cliffs that makes up part of the Hudson Palisades. So how did they get the streetcars down these dangerous cliffs to low-lying Hoboken and Weehawken by the Hudson River? With everything from a huge and long elevated trestle, funicular wagon lifts, and an elevator! Tackling the cliffs this way was an engineering feat, especially for the time. Today the HBLR doesn't go up the cliffs of course, but there is an elevator for pedestrians at 9th Street-Congress station to serve Jersey City's The Heights, as well as an underground station in Union City to serve the bustling Cuban street of Bergenline Ave.

[Fanw]

I, Roger Sexton (British), can agree with everything you are saying. I would particularly stress the point that the same fare system should apply to all modes of transit - whether metro, train, tram, bus, boat or aerial cable car. This is where London is poor compared to Paris and other major European cities. London fares are generally reasonably priced, but buses have a different charging system (cheaper) compared to trains and the underground. One point of terminology. Avoid using the word 'gondolas'. For the vast majority of people a gondola is a boat found in just one city, Venice. They do not think of aerial cable cars! The French have the right word 'Télécabines'.

[DearyLeary]

I honestly forget who said it, but it always sticks in my mind. "Paris is a city to be used". Everything is designed to get people moving and to be out in the city. Would love to be able to afford to live there.

[levs]

Elevators are often times faster too, a great example of this is line 4 in Budapest when the trains go under the Danube river, the escalator takes around 3 minutes whereas the elevator is no more than 30 seconds

[lesalmin]

The best public transportation service I have ever experienced, was about 40 years ago in a little village of Pyhasalmi in Finland. It was a local bus. After couple of kilometers an olderly lady realized she had left her bag at the bus station. No problem! The bus turned around, drove back to the bus station, let the lady get her bag and continued like nothing special had happened. 🚌 ❤

[brettyallop]

Great video! London (2023) and Paris (2015) are on par in my humble opinion, Singapore (1993) shone out for me when I was there (dates in brackets). As a Sydney resident ours is not too bad but lacking (in my opinion) the most important feature, frequency of service. Melbourne (2013) was also pretty good, to the extent after arriving in Melbourne my Daughter and I pretty much left the car parked at the hotel and caught transit everywhere.

[rmschindler]

“accessibility measures really anything that brings down the barriers to using a transit service”—I absolutely agree. in UI design—a passion of mine—my personal definition of ‘accessibility’ is likewise, so that it refers to diminishing the barriers to using an app for everybody, not merely about making the product usable by disabled persons. ...just in case anybody is interested in UI design :).

[sinfoniasam]

I’m glad you touched on cleanliness.

One item I feel should also be mentioned is safety. Cities should be addressing public drug use, as well as people in crisis who are a danger to themselves and others.

While I don’t think transit agencies should be dealing with these problems directly, they should work hand in hand with a city’s health & human services department, as well as local police.

[BruscoTheBoar]

"Getting better"....I love the Jelbi-System in Berlin where you have all the sharing companies public transit and taxi in one single, easy to use app. With one single account.

[john-icvj]

We recently did a trip to london with a side trip to paris using the eurostar. Both transit networks were amazing compared to anything i experienced in the US. However, i found the london network usually more useful and the corridors underground less confusing. Also, in london, you can literally just scan a credit card to get through. Paris had these tickets you had to buy that could potentially not get you where you want to go if not the right one. Hopefully that changes to be simpler like london.

[mixi]

Yes, the proper mode for the each purpose including a gondola system

[critiqueofthegothgf]

paris's trains are absolutely gorgeous. the white and turrquois one is so aesthetically pleasing

[meng]

I feel like you've answered this question like at least 20 times before. And you made at least a couple of videos on it.

[owensiderius]

Great video! Although you reversed the labelling for Ottawa and Toronto 3:15. Love your channel!

[coweatsman]

When it comes to elevators to platforms I like to see doors at both ends of the elevator. This allows for bikes, prams, wheelchairs and mobility scooters to roll in frontwards and roll on to the platform still frontwards.

[SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Obviously Pyongyang is the perfect transit city. Two BEAUTIFUL Metro lines, twelve trolleybus lines, four tram lines, not to mention plenty of bike lanes! The tram system has a length of 53.5 km or 33 miles, the trolleybus system has a length of 56.6 km or 35.2 miles, and the Metro system has a length of 22.5 km or 14 miles. The Pyongyang Metro is among the deepest metros in the world, with the track at over 110 meters (360 ft) deep underground. Due to the depth of the metro and the lack of outside segments, its stations can double as bomb shelters, with blast doors in place at hallways. It takes three and a half minutes from the ground to the platform by escalator.

And when it comes to Paris, gotta love their iconic Metro entrances. The Paris Metro's iconic entrances were designed by Hector Guimard. A design competition was held for the above-ground components, to alleviate the public's fear that they would mar the cityscape with an industrial appearance. Meaning if it wasn't for the Parisians opposing the Metro and thinking it was gonna look awful, we wouldn't have such pretty entrances! Rather than stone, Guimard used cast iron set in concrete both to reduce costs and to suit the sinuous Art Nouveau forms. They were painted in a green emulating weathered brass. The public was less enamored of his more elaborate entrances. Thus, many were demolished, but those that remain are now all protected historical monuments and Parisian icons.