{"id":32331,"date":"2019-09-10T08:30:08","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T06:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/?p=32331"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:28:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:28:59","slug":"is-having-a-good-public-transportation-system-really-so-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/en\/2019\/09\/is-having-a-good-public-transportation-system-really-so-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Is having a good public transportation system really so important?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How often did you complain about not having time to do all that you want to do<\/em>? How many times have you listened to friends and co-workers complain of the same? Well, for life in the big city, one of the best ways to save time is to <\/strong>spend as less time as possible commuting<\/strong><\/a>. And this is why you should consider cities with the best public transportation system as your new place of employment.<\/p>\n

It actually is. Nobody likes to constantly be late, be it for work, a night out, date, family gathering or anything else<\/em>. And this is something people often tend to neglect when they are looking for a new location to move to. However, cities with the best public transportation system should be one of the deciding factors when you plan a relocation<\/strong>, especially when moving to a distant place<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\" We tend to forget just how essential public transportation has become.<\/p>\n

Cities with the best public transportation system<\/h2>\n

According to research by the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>, the average person in the US will spend 25.5 minutes commuting to work. <\/em>And this is just a one-way ticket. So, on an annual basis, the average American will waste over 100 hours in traffic. And when you consider that this is more than two weeks of vacation time (80 hours), it\u2019s shocking. What\u2019s even worse is that this number continues to rise as the years pass and cities expand. There is some salvation and cause for optimism with the fact that more and more people can work from home nowadays.<\/p>\n

However, all this still beckons the question \u2013 how are large metropolitan areas handling this<\/em>? Well, here are 5 examples of cities with the best public transportation system. They have been handling the battle with transit time for a while, and continue to do so in the best fashion:<\/p>\n

1. Washington, D.C.<\/h3>\n

The capital of our great nation, Washington holds a tight grip on public transportation throughout the DC area. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority<\/em> ensure that both buses and underground subways function at optimal capacity. With over 200 million trips on an annual basis, the DC subway system (also known as Metro or Metrorail) is the 2nd<\/sup> largest ridership system in the US<\/strong>. And the bus systems does not fall behind so much, with over 130 million trips every year.<\/p>\n

Being so large in size, combined with the organized network of it, Washington is the obvious choice<\/em><\/a> when it comes to cities with the best public transportation system<\/em>. The simple fact that the average commute to work lasts 36 minutes (ten minutes less than national average) speak for itself. The only downside of the transportation system here is the price. With a monthly fare of over $230<\/strong>, the capital has some of the highest fares in the US.<\/p>\n

2. San Francisco, California<\/h3>\n

The city of San Francisco has always been a promoter of public transportation. After all, the historic cable cars that run up and down the hills of San Francisco have become a trademark for this growing metropolis<\/strong>. Today, the number of these cable cars has drastically dropped to tourist use. However, it is a strong reminder of how San Francisco and the entire Bay Area came to be and develop. Now, the most significant part of San Francisco\u2019s transit system relies on buses and commuter trains. Two organizations are worth mentioning here:<\/p>\n