Contents 1 In general 2 History 3 Modern public transport 3.1 Road 3.2 Rail 3.3 Water 3.4 Air 3.5 Sloped or vertical 3.6 Transport Interchanges 4 Public transport vs. private cars 4.1 Europe 4.2 United States 4.3 Asia 4.4 Africa 5 Economic impact 6 Environmental impact 7 Social Inclusion 8 Funding 8.1 Hong Kong 8.2 United States 9 Ticket systems 9.1 Multi-use tickets 9.2 Electronic fare card 9.3 Free systems 9.4 Free travel pass 10 Social and Culture Issues 10.1 Food & drink 10.2 Noise 10.3 Safety 10.4 Sleeping 10.5 Smoking 11 Heritage Transport Systems Around The World 12 Emerging technologies 13 See also 14 References 15 External links

Public transport, public transportation, public transit or mass transit comprise all transport systems that transport members of the general public, usually charging set fares. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another While the above terms are generally taken to include rail and bus services, wider definitions might include scheduled airline services, ferries, taxicab services etc. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of Public transport for a single passenger or small group of passengers typically for a non-shared ride A further restriction that is sometimes applied is that transit should occur in continuously shared vehicles, which would exclude taxis that are not shared-ride taxis.

The term public transport is preferred in the British Isles and most Commonwealth countries, whereas public transportation, public transit and mass transit are used most often in North America. The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan The term transit is less likely to include long-distance forms of public transportation, such as long-distance or commuter railroads, inter-city buses, or intercity railways. Commuting is the process of Travelling between one's place of residence and regular place of work Inter-city rail services are express Train passenger services which cover longer distances than Commuter trains Africa Inter-city services are reasonably

Public transport is usually regulated as a common carrier and is usually configured to provide scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis, although share taxis provide an ad-hoc form of flexible public transport, and demand responsive transport provides a pre-bookable form of public shared transport. A common carrier is a business that transports people goods or services and offers its services to the general public under license or authority provided by a regulatory body Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons Demand responsive transport or demand responsive transit (DRT is "an advanced user-oriented form of Public transport characterised by flexible routing and scheduling Taxicabs and other vehicles for hire are generally fully flexible. See also Taxicab A vehicle for hire is a Vehicle providing Shared transportation which transports one or more passengers between locations

The majority of transit passengers are traveling within a local area or region between their homes and places of employment, shopping, or schools.

In general

In many parts of the world private transport dominates; however, in places with public transport systems, and where private transport use is not practical or not affordable, or where the public transport is more practical or more desirable than the private alternatives, then it is used. Many towns and cities around the world are investing in public transport initiatives to increase the attractiveness and usage of public transport.

Public transport can offer significant advantages in areas with higher population densities if it is efficiently utilised, due to its potentially smaller physical and environmental footprint per passenger. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume

Road-based public transport risks being slower than private vehicles if it gets held up in general traffic congestion. Compounding upon this, scheduled transport vehicles have to make frequent stops to board additional passengers, and an individual trip may require one or more transfers. Routes are also often circuitous to increase the area serviced by the system. Therefore, transport authorities wishing to increase the attractiveness and use of public transport often respond by establishing or expanding dedicated or semi-dedicated public transport lanes, traffic signal priority, and other measures. Bus priority or transit signal priority is a name for various techniques to speed up bus public transport services at signalized intersections

The term rapid transit, is often used to distinguish modes of transit possessing a dedicated right of way and having frequent, continuous service. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Still, rapid transit often fails to live up to the name, as there are no firm guidelines as to how fast transit must be to be rapid. ^[1] Light rail is another form of public transit, comprising of a tram or trolley operating on a rail line. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.

A popular public transport mode in the developing world, and increasingly in the western world, is the share taxi (mini-bus, jitney etc) that run on flexible or semi-flexible routes. Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons "Microbus" redirects here For the Volkswagen Microbus see Volkswagen Type 2.

History

Conveyances for public hire are as old as the first ferries, and the earliest public transport was water transport, for on land people walked or rode an animal. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and (Non-human animal-powered Transport is a broad category of the Human use of non-human Working animals (also known as "beasts of burden" for the This form of transport is part of Greek mythology — corpses in ancient Greece were always buried with a coin underneath their tongue to pay the ferryman Charon to take them to Hades. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (in Greek, Χάρων &mdash the bright) was the Ferryman of Hades Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient

Some historical forms of public transport are the stagecoach, traveling a fixed route from inn to inn, and the horse-drawn boat carrying paying passengers, which was a feature of canals from their 17th-century origins. For other meanings see Stagecoach (disambiguation. A stagecoach (also called diligence) is a type of four-wheeled enclosed Not to be confused with the modern Towboat. A horse-drawn boat or tow-boat is a historic Boat operating on a Canal Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have originated in Nantes, France, in 1826 and was then introduced to London in July 1829. Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[2]

Modern public transport

Public transportation can usefully be classified in a variety of ways:-

By the type of area served:

• Larger urban areas with multiple interconnected transport modes, probably including metro/underground, bus, taxi, tram and ferry and complex transport interchanges
• Smaller urban areas often using buses and taxis and simple interchanges
• Rural areas typically relying more on buses and taxis and share taxis
• Inter-urban and regional transport, often based on the train, coach and the plane
• Long haul destinations, normally using the plane. A taxis (plural taxes, ˈtæksiːz is an Innate behavioural response by an Organism to a directional stimulus. Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons Alternatively by the required infrastructure (Road, rail, water and air), or by the scheduling method (fixed timetable or not).

Alternatively by the infrastructure requirement:

• Road Concrete roads
• Rail
• Water
• Air
• Cable/continuous
• Off road dirt road

Road

• Scheduled Shared Vehicle: including Bus , Bus rapid transit, Electric Bus, Motor Coach, Transit bus and Trolleybus
• Chauffered Shared Flexible Route: Share taxi (including Bush taxi, colectivo, Combi, Jeepney, Jitney, Matatu, maxi-taxi, minibus) , Paratransit (also known as Demand Responsive Transport) and Songthaew
• Chauffered Exclusive Flexible Route: Vehicle for hire: including Auto rickshaw, Hackney cab, Limousine, Rickshaw, Taxicab and Velotaxi
• Shared self-drive: Vanpool and Carpool
• Short Duration un-chauffeured Vehicle Hire : including Carsharing (known as Car Clubs in the UK) and Community bicycle program

Rail

Main article: Rapid transit

• Automated guideway transit (AGT), also called people mover
• Cable car on rails, used in cities, a streetcar (tram) pulled by a cable
• Cable car on rails, used in mountains. Automated guideway transit (AGT is a fully automated grade-separated transit system in which vehicles (usually rubber-tired are guided (usually by horizontally running guide For the private automobile see People carrier A people mover or automated people mover (APM is a fully automated grade-separated A cable car or cable railway is a Mass transit system using rail cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train

Further information: Funicular

• Rack railway (or rack and pinion railway)
• Elevated railroad, such as the Chicago 'L'
• Light rail a tram-like system with no significant sections of the route shared with cars or pedestrians, such as the San Diego Trolley or the St. Louis MetroLink
• Magnetic levitation train (Maglev)
• Metro (also known as 'subway' or 'underground')
  • Rubber-tired metro
  • Advanced Rapid Transit
• Monorail
• Train, including commuter train and high-speed rail
• Tram (tramway or streetcar)

Water

• Ferry, including hydrofoil, catamaran and hovercraft
• Water taxi
• Sea bus

Air

• Airliner

Sloped or vertical

• Aerial tramway or the similar Gondola lift and the more basic Aerial lift are vehicles suspended from aerial cables
• Chairlift
• Conveyor transport (term includes escalators and horizontal or slightly inclined moving sidewalk - "Travolator")
• Escalator
• Elevator or lift
• Funicular, used in mountains, tram-like vehicle on rails pulled by a cable up and down a very steep slope. An aerial tramway is a type of Aerial lift in which a cabin is suspended from a cable and is pulled by another cable A gondola lift is a type of Aerial lift, often called a cable car, which consists of a loop of Steel cable that is strung between two stations An aerial lift is a means of transport in which gondolas or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of a cable. A chairlift (technically an elevated passenger ropeway is a type of Aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating Steel cable loop strung An escalator is a Conveyor transport device for transporting people consisting of individual linked steps that move up or down on tracks which keep the treads An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another A funicular, also known as a funicular railway, incline, inclined railway, inclined plane, or cliff railway, is a type of self-contained
• Gondola lift

Some of these types are often not for use by the general public, e. A gondola lift is a type of Aerial lift, often called a cable car, which consists of a loop of Steel cable that is strung between two stations g. elevators in offices and apartment buildings, buses for personnel or school children, etc.

Transport Interchanges

Of critical importance to attractive and successful public transport is the design of the transport interchanges where people access the system and interchange between different vehicles. These transport interchanges range for extensive multi-modal interchanges such as found at major airports to the humble bus stop.

Stations are an important aspect of any public transportation system. Specific types include:

• Airport, Heliport
• Airport terminal
• Bus stop (including bus station, bus depot)
• Metro station
• Park and ride
• Ship terminal, ferry slip, pier or wharf
• Taxi stand
• Terminal station
• Railway station
• Tram stop

In addition one can alight from and usually board a taxi at any road where stopping is allowed. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land A heliport is a small Airport suitable only for use by Helicopters Heliports typically contain one or more Helipads and may have limited facilities such An airport terminal is a building at an Airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from Airplanes A bus stop is a designated place where a Public transport Bus stops for the purpose of allowing passengers to board or leave a bus A metro station is a railway station for a Rapid transit system often known by names such as "metro" "underground" and "subway" Park and ride (or incentive parking) facilities are Public transport stations that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into ferry slip is a specialized docking facility that receives a ferryboat. A pier is a raised Walkway over water supported by widely spread Piles or pillars. A wharf is a landing place or Pier where ships may tie up and load or unload See also Taxicab A taxicab stand (also called taxi rank, cab stand, taxi stand, Cab rank, or hack stand |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains A tram stop is a place designated for a Tram to stop in order to have passengers board or leave it Some fixed-route buses allow getting on and off at suitable unmarked locations along that route, typically called a hail-and-ride section.

In recent years, an increasing emphasis has been placed on intermodal transport facilities. These are intended to help passengers move from one mode (or form) of transportation to another. An intermodal station may service air, rail, and highway transportation for example.

Main article: Intermodal passenger transport

Public transport vs. Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one Mode of transport of passengers private cars

In the Western world, public transport and car advocates have been debating which mode of transport is the best with considerable differences between Europe, Asia and the United States for both historical and cultural reasons.

See also: The system of Automobility, Social ideology of the motorcar, Transport in present-day nations and states, World Car Free Network, List of car-free places

Europe

Nordic Countries have subsidized public transport. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another This is a list of noteworthy car-free areas. To be included areas should meet at least one of the following criteria They are unusual for their country or region The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden has created the Länstrafik system through state subsidies to offer mass transport services to places where it isn't profitable in business terms. In Finland, public transport is most extensive in Helsinki. There is subsidized public transport in Finland's cities and countryside, similar to Sweden.

United Kingdom bus usage has been rising nationally since about 1990 (although it has actually fallen by 30% in Scotland, 28% in Wales, and 22% in non-metropolitan areas in England). The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[3] In England, the number of bus journeys in 2006/07 was 12% less than it was in 1985/86, although London has seen bus journeys increase by 75% over the same period. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Rail journeys increased by 53% between 1980 and 2006/007 in England, whilst London underground journeys increased by 86% over that period. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire ^[4]

France has built an extensive TGV network, built light rail, reassigned road lanes from cars to light transport in city centres and car usage and its social status has decreased there [1]. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.

Germany's AIRail Service has even replaced some airline routes. AIRail Service is offered by Deutsche Bahn AG in cooperation with Lufthansa, American Airlines and Emirates Airline.

United States

Most cities in the United States were built around the car, and in many places public transportation is now almost non-existent, even in large cities, with only a few cities where public transportation is in good condition, primarily in the Northeast. Many public transportation systems that existed prior to domination of the car were dismantled by the emergent car industry in a move came to be known as the Great American Streetcar Scandal; GM managed to rip out over 100 streetcar systems nationwide by 1950. The Great American Streetcar Scandal is a Conspiracy theory according to which Streetcar systems throughout the United States were dismantled and replaced Antitrust investigations only began to take place after the fact. ^[5]

One major exception is New York City, the only city in America where over half of the people do not own an automobile. The City of New York One out of three mass transportation riders and two out of three rail riders live in New York City and its suburbs. New York boasts two subways, the New York City Subway, and the PATH. The New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency The Port Authority Trans-Hudson ( PATH) is a Rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service It is also served by three commuter railways, NJ Transit, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad. The New Jersey Transit Corporation (usually shortened to New Jersey Transit, NJ Transit or NJT) is a statewide Public transportation system serving The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service The LIRR, NJ Transit, and Amtrak meet at Penn Station, by far America's busiest intercity railway station. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 Pennsylvania Station (commonly known as “Penn Station”) is the major intercity rail station and a major Commuter rail hub in New York City See also: Transportation in New York City

In the 2000s, many US cities realized that widespread car usage caused serious problems, such as urban sprawl. The transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area In response to this, cities have begun to make their city centers more enticing, have canceled expressways projects and restored or improved public transport and commissioned new rail transit projects. An expressway is a Divided highway for high-speed traffic with at least partial Control of access. Public transportation ridership in the US has risen 21% since 1995 – more than the same period's increase in roadway vehicle miles or airline passenger miles [http://www.publictransportation.org/ and several U. S. states that were considered bastions of highway-only thinking, such as Colorado^[6][7] and Utah (see Utah Transit Authority), had approved major public transportation investments by 2005. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah.

For intercity transportation within the United States, the car and the airplane dominate except in the Northeast Corridor, a densely populated string of cities, which has the busiest train line in the USA, including the popular Acela Express train service operated by Amtrak. Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. The Northeast Corridor ( NEC) is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency Acela Express (often called simply Acela) is the name used by Amtrak for the high-speed Tilting train service operating between The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 Elsewhere trains and buses (such as the Greyhound) are often only used by those with no other alternative. Greyhound Lines is an intercity Common carrier of passengers by Bus serving over 3700 destinations in the United States.

Detractors point out that in investment in public transport in the USA has had almost no impact on the number of drivers, traffic, or associated sprawl, even at large expense to taxpayers. ^[8]

See also: Transportation of Los Angeles, Pacific Electric Railway, Modeshift

Asia

In Asia the population density is so high that widespread car usage is very hard to sustain. The intercity transportation system of Los Angeles California serves as a regional national and international hub for passenger and freight traffic The Pacific Electric Railway, also known as the Red Car system was a Mass transit system in Southern California using Streetcars, Japan, a very rich country, has known this for decades and its citizens use rail transit very heavily and it is very costly and difficult to use a car there. The same is true for Singapore, where a license is required to own a car. China has historically used a lot of bicycles and mopeds, but car usage is growing quickly and is causing a lot of problems like traffic jams and pollution, but there are numerous rail transit projects under construction in China today.

Africa

In most African nations, traffic tends to be less problematic. Due to low income levels, transport options may be limited to walking, animal transport, share taxi, and public transport where it exists. Types of vehicle Share taxis come in various Vehicle types including Minibuses Midibuses covered Pickup trucks Station wagons Where income levels are higher, traffic problems can arise. The most congested city in Africa is Cairo, where traffic jams can last many hours.

Economic impact

One of the challenges to public transport is having a sufficient density of desired destinations within walking distance of a transit stop. Because this is unlikely in any suburban location that hitherto was served only by automobile, it is often advantageous to intentionally develop within close proximity to public transportation. Such transit-oriented development can both improve the usefulness and efficiency of the public transit system as well as result in increased business for commercial developments. TOD in cities Many cities in the USA and Canada are developing TOD policy

Well-designed transit systems can have a positive effect on real estate prices. The Hong Kong metro MTR generates a profit by redeveloping land around its stations. MTR, or Mass Transit Railway, is the Rapid transit Railway system in Hong Kong. Much public opposition to new transit construction can be based on the concern about the impact on neighborhoods of this new economic development. Few localities have the ability to seize and reassign development rights to a private transit operator, as Hong Kong has done. Eminent domain ( United States) compulsory purchase ( United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland) resumption/compulsory acquisition

The economic costs of a congested transport system, be it a public transport system or a private car based transport system can be measured and can seriously detract from the attractiveness of an area for business and for residents [2].

Detractors point out that at times, transit unions have staged strikes, which have the potential to bring a public-transit led city to a virtual standstill, that public transit rarely covers its operating costs through fares and that no transit agency in the U. S. has achieved this for several decades [3] (as of 2003, U. S. transit operators obtained only 32. 6% of their operating funding from fares, the rest coming primarily from government subsidies [4]). This may be a misleading statement, since part of a freeway's "operating" cost, that of owning and maintaining vehicles, is tacitly covered by its private users. Also, many metro systems (such as the New York Subway) are mandated by the city government to keep their fares low ^[9], and it is feasible that profitability could be achieved if they were free to set peak fares at (much higher) market prices.

Environmental impact

Emissions from road vehicles account for over 50% of U. S. air pollution. Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Scientists estimate that public transportation already reduces emissions of carbon dioxide by over 7. 4 million tons annually. If Americans were to use public transportation at equivalent rates as Europeans, scientists estimate that U. S. dependence on imported oil would decrease by more than 40% and that carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by more than 25%. ^[10][11] Studies have shown that there is a strong inverse correlation between urban population density and energy consumption per capita, and that public transport could play a key role in increasing urban population densities, and thus reduce travel distances and fossil fuel consumption. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume ^[12]

In the UK, household use of private vehicles accounted for 9% of all man-made emissions of greenhouse gases in 2002, up from 8% in 1990, whilst the transport industry (including freight) accounted for 12% in 2002, up from 8% in 1990. ^[13]

See also Fuel efficiency in transportation

Social Inclusion

An important social role played by public transport is ensure that all members of society are able to travel, not just those with a driving licence and access to a vehicle. This page describes Fuel efficiency in means of Transportation.

Transit-for-all is the name given to a USA movement arguing greater investment in public transportation. ^[14] Advocates of transit-for-all initiatives argue that the approximately 70 billion dollars currently assigned to subsidizing cheap oil should be reinvested in public transportation. Supporters of transit-for-all initiatives claim there are three main benefits to such a strategic realignment of resources: first, it will benefit the environment and, therefore, the nation’s health; second, it will increase the economic mobility of citizens currently marginalized because of their geographic isolation and revitalize neighborhoods by reconnecting them to their surroundings; third, it will decrease American dependence on foreign oil, thereby improving U. See also Social mobility Economic mobility is the ability of an individual or family to improve their Economic status in relation North American energy independence is a stated goal of those who believe that the North American nations - the USA, Canada and Mexico - must reduce their S. national security. National security is the entire scope of measures undertaken by the Governments of Nation-states in providing assurance of national Sovereignty ^{[15] [16]}

Car dependency is a name given by policy makers to places where the those without access to a private vehicle do not have access to independent mobility, this group includes the young, the old, the poor, people with poor or no sight, Epilepsy as well as those banned from driving. Automobile dependency is a term coined by Professors Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy to capture the predicament of most cities in the United States Canada Australia and New

See also: Reducing Car Dependency in Australia, Car Dependency in the UK, Modeshift

Funding

Public transport systems generally rely on government subsidy to supplement fare collections, though a few systems are run as unsubsidized commercial enterprises or are entirely paid for by governments. Articulated buses (either motorbuses or Trolleybuses) also known as tandem buses, bendy buses, banana buses, slinky buses or Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, is a large public American research University with its main campuses located in downtown Richmond, This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Overland Transportation was an organization in Virginia in the United States which operated new and used Bus dealerships and a number of intrastate In British English and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers The percentage of revenue from passenger charges is known as the farebox recovery ratio. The farebox recovery ratio of a passenger transportation system is the proportion of the amount of revenue generated through Fares by its paying customers as a fraction Transit systems earn incidental revenue from their unused real estate, in the form of parking fees, leasing space to shops and vendors, advertising, and lately, leasing their tunnels and rights-of-way to carry fiber optic communication lines. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand An optical fiber (or fibre) is a Glass or Plastic fiber that carries Light along its length

Some systems are owned and operated by a government agency; other transportation services may be commercial, but receive greater benefits from the government compared to a normal company, e. g. ,

• direct payments to run unprofitable services.
• government bailouts if the company is likely to collapse (often applied to airlines).
• tax advantages, e. g. , aviation fuel is typically not taxed. Aviation fuel is a specialized type of Petroleum -based fuel used to power Aircraft.
• reduction of competition through licensing schemes (often applied to taxi and airline services. )
• allowing use of state-owned infrastructure without payment or for less than cost-price (may apply for railways).

One reason many cities spend large sums on their public transport systems is that heavy automobile traffic congests city streets and causes air pollution. Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort It is believed that public transport systems alleviate this, but reducing car traffic is not always assured.

Some city councils fund public transport infrastructure to promote business and economic growth, or to regenerate deprived ares of the city. A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to Examples of public transport planned according to this philosophy are the Docklands Light Rail and Crossrail projects in London. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR is a Light rail system serving the redeveloped Docklands area of East London England. Crossrail is a project to build major new Railway connections under central London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

Some government officials believe that use of taxpayer capital to fund mass transit will ultimately save taxpayer money in other ways, and therefore, state-funded mass transit is a benefit to the taxpayer. Since lack of mass transit results in more traffic, pollution, and road construction to accommodate more vehicles, all costly to taxpayers, providing mass transit will therefore alleviate these costs.

Another reason for subsidies for public transit are the provision of mobility to those who reject its use on convenience, environmental or safety grounds and those who cannot afford or are physically or legally incapable of using an automobile.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, MTR Corporation Limited and KCR Corporation are given the rights to utilise lands near stations, depots or tracks for property development. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders MTR Corporation Limited ( abbreviated as 港鐵公司 is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange ( and included in the Hang Seng Index. Profits from land development cover the partial cost of construction, but not operation, of the urban rail systems. Similar arrangements are available to the ferry piers of franchised ferry service providers. Franchised bus operators are exempted from paying tax on diesel.

United States

Main article: Transportation in the United States

In the United States, operations of most public transit services are financially subsidized by local and state governments, who provide matching funds to receive up to 80% capital grant aid from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Overview Road transportation In comparison to most of the Western world, the United States relies much more The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Matching funds is a term used to describe the requirement or condition that a generally minimal amount of money or services-in-kind originate from the beneficiaries of financial amounts The Federal Transit Administration ( FTA) is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (DOT that provides financial and technical assistance The United States Department of Transportation ( DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with Transportation This agency administers programs which provide funding and support services to state and local agencies which operate a wide range of public transportation services.

These include local urban and suburban bus and paratransit services, light rail, heritage streetcar systems, cable car, subway, rapid transit, and commuter rail services. Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems. A heritage railway ( United Kingdom) preserved railway ( United Kingdom) or tourist railroad ( United States and Canada) is a A cable car or cable railway is a Mass transit system using rail cars that are propelled by a continuously moving cable running at a constant speed A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide Common carrier passenger transportation along railway

Special rural transportation programs of the FTA and some state governments provide assistance for bus and para-transit services in some areas. New York City has the most extensive transit system in the country, operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA. The transportation system of New York City is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure About one in every three users of mass transit in the United States and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders live in the New York City Metropolitan Area. MTA FactsArlington, Texas (pop. Arlington is a Suburb of Fort Worth in Tarrant County, Texas ( USA) within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area 360,000) is the largest city in the United States without conventional fixed-route public transportation. (Arlington operates a demand responsive paratransit service( Handitran. ))

Ticket systems

See also: Fare, Category:Fare collection systems, and Train ticket

Different arrangements for fare collection are in use. A fare is the Fee paid by a traveler allowing him or her to make use of a Public transport system rail, Bus, taxi, etc (This article does not fare collection metro systems and other short-distance public transit for those please see Public transport ticket systems. Depending on the type, fares:

• must be bought in advance; one cannot physically enter the railway platform, vehicle, etc. A railway platform is a section of pathway alongside Rail tracks at a Train station, Metro station or Tram stop, at which passengers may board , without passing a turnstile, fare gate or ticket inspector (usually found in a metro). A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of Gate which allows one person to pass at a time
• must be bought in advance as a voucher for a user-determined amount of money, which is encoded on a ticket or smartcard by electronic, magnetic, or optical means. A smart card, chip card, or Integrated circuit card ( ICC) is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated A fare is deducted automatically each time the ticket is used — either just upon system entry, or at both entry and exit where the fare is variable by distance. The latter is often found in newer systems.
• must be bought in advance, checked by a conductor or Revenue Protection Inspector etc. Train Conductor (North America The Conductor is the railway employee charged with the management of a freight passenger or various other types of Train, and is Revenue Protection Inspector (RPIs or Revenue Protection Officer (RPOs is the job title given to staff who Patrol different forms of Public transport , upon entry (usually found on buses in North America and Western Europe, and on commuter rail systems).
• must be bought in advance, checked randomly by a ticket controller (proof-of-payment system, usually found in Europe and occasionally the United States). A ticket controller is a person who randomly checks tickets on Public transport in systems where one can enter the Vehicle without being checked ( Proof-of-payment Proof-of-payment or POP is an honor -based Fare collection approach used on many Public transportation systems
• can be bought both in advance or during the ride, with the fare sometimes being higher in the latter case (see also Conductor); in this case purchase in advance is often possible at major stations, but usually not at a typical tram or bus stop. Train Conductor (North America The Conductor is the railway employee charged with the management of a freight passenger or various other types of Train, and is A bus stop is a designated place where a Public transport Bus stops for the purpose of allowing passengers to board or leave a bus

Passengers may be issued with a paper ticket, metal or plastic token, or an electronic card. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging In the study of Numismatics, token coins or tokens are coin-like objects used instead of Coins The field of tokens is part of Exonumia.

Multi-use tickets

Special tickets (other than for a single ride at the regular price) include:

• passes for unlimited travel within a period of time, but shorter than season tickets.
• passes for unlimited travel during a given number of days that can be chosen within a longer period of time (e. g. 8 days within a month).
• multi-ride tickets.
• discount tickets valid for someone with a discount pass, etc.
• season tickets. A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time
• Citycards and Sightseeing Passes. Free public transport tickets are included.

Passes may be for a particular route (in both directions), or for a whole network.

Electronic fare card

Electronic fare cards are designed to be read by a computer input device and include:

• Magnetic stripe card — privileges and fare remaining are magnetically encoded on the card after each use. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing Data by modifying the Magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material
  • Paper tickets with magnetic stripes (adopted by a few rapid transit systems like BART before plastic magnetic stripe cards went into widespread use). A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway
  • ATICard — used in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}
  • Common Stored Value Ticket — formerly used in Hong Kong. Common Stored Value Ticket was a system of plastic magnetically sensitive card used for paying fares on the MTR and KCR railway systems in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders
  • MetroCard — used in New York City. MetroCard redirects here For other cards see MetroCard (disambiguation See also Transportation in New York City The MetroCard The City of New York
  • Metropass — used in Toronto. Toronto Transit Commission fares include cash Fares tickets and tokens transfers daily weekly and monthly Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario
  • Passnet — used in Greater Tokyo Area, gradually replaced by smartcards. was a stored-fare system using magnetic cards of the 22 members of the Passnet Association in the Kantō region of Japan. The Greater Tokyo Area is a large Metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama
  • CTA Transit Card — used in Chicago. Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.
  • TravelTen — used on buses in Sydney. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4
  • TravelPass — used on buses, ferries and trains in Sydney. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4
  • Metropass — used on buses and trains in Miami. Miami-Dade Transit is the Public transit authority in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

• Smartcard — typically credit card sized with an embedded microprocessor. A smart card, chip card, or Integrated circuit card ( ICC) is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated A microprocessor incorporates most or all of the functions of a Central processing unit (CPU on a single Integrated Contactless cards are preferred for transit fare collection because they speed riders through fare gates. Examples include:
  • 1996 Upass in Seoul Metropolitan Area
  • 1997 Octopus card in Hong Kong, Touch n Go in Klang Valley (rest of Malaysia 1998)
  • 1999 SmarTrip in Washington, D.C.
  • 2000 Chicago Card in Chicago (initially publicly tested as "CTA SmartCard"), Mybi in Busan,Republic of Korea, EasyRider in Nottingham student cards from both universities can also be used
  • 2001 Suica in Greater Tokyo Area, Navigo card in Paris, EZ-Link card in Singapore
  • 2002 EasyCard in Taipei, TransLink in San Francisco Bay Area, Matkakortti in Helsinki, Andante in Porto (first fully contactless system, even for occasional riders)
  • 2003 ICOCA in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
  • 2004 Bilhete Único in São Paulo, Oyster card in London, T-money in Seoul Metropolitan Area
  • 2005 Tcard in Sydney (for schoolchildren from 2005, trial only for general public) (No longer in operation see Tcard. Upass ( Korean: 유패스 is a pre-paid card for the transportation system in Seoul and its suburbs The Seoul National Capital Area (SNCA is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. The Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value Smart card used to transfer electronic payments in online or offline systems in Hong Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders The Touch 'n Go smart card is used by Malaysian toll expressway and highway operators as the sole Electronic payment system (EPS Klang Valley (Lembah Klang is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The SmarTrip card is a Plastic contactless stored-value smart card used for payment within the Washington Metro system of Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Chicago Card and the Chicago Card Plus are contactless Smart cards used by riders of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA and Pace to Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois. The Mybi card is a kind of contactless smartcard used in South Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː The EasyRider card known locally as RealRider is a contactless Smartcard introduced in 2000 in Nottingham, England for use on Nottingham City Transport Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. is a rechargeable contactless Smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan The Greater Tokyo Area is a large Metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama The Navigo pass is a means of payment for public transportation introduced in the Île-de-France region (whose capital is the city of Paris) introduced in Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The EZ-Link card is a Contactless smartcard based on Sony 's FeliCa smartcard technology used for payments in Singapore especially Singapore EasyCard ( Traditional Chinese: 悠遊卡 is a contactless Smartcard system operated by Taipei Smart Card Corporation for use on the Taipei Rapid Transit System Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of TransLink is a rechargeable dual-interface (contact/contactless stored value Smart card Fare collection system being implemented in the San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Andante is a Public transport ticketing system used in and around Porto, Portugal. The card is a rechargeable contactless Smart card used on JR West rail network in Japan. is a metropolitan region encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Osaka in Osaka prefecture, Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture, and Kyoto Bilhete Único ("Single Ticket" is the trademark of the São Paulo transportation system SmartCard. São Paulo ( is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. T-money is a rechargeable series of cards and other "smart" devices used for paying transportation fares in and around Seoul and other areas of South Korea The Seoul National Capital Area (SNCA is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. History Sydney has used a number of automated ticketing systems since the opening of the Eastern Suburbs Railway in 1979. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 History Sydney has used a number of automated ticketing systems since the opening of the Eastern Suburbs Railway in 1979. )
  • 2006 Smart Pass in Bangkok, TOICA in Nagoya, Breeze in Atlanta, Georgia, SmartRider in Perth, CharlieCard in Boston, OV-Chipkaart in Rotterdam (rest of the Netherlands in 2008)
  • 2007 Go-To Card in Minneapolis-St. Paul, myki in Melbourne, Presto card in Greater Toronto Area (to be completed in 2010)
  • 2008
  • 2008 Go Card issue by TransLink (South East Queensland) is available for Brisbane and the rest of South-East Queensland. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest is a rechargeable contactless Smart card ticketing system for JR Central railway network introduced in Chūkyō Area (Greater Nagoya) Japan is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan. SmartRider is Transperth 's contactless electronic ticketing system using Smartcard technology for the process of charging patrons for Public transport. Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. The CharlieCard is a contactless stored value Smart card used for electronic ticketing as part of the Automated Fare Collection (AFC system The National Tariff System ( Dutch: nationaal tariefsysteem or nationale vervoerbewijzen / NVB) is a nationwide ticketing and zoning scheme for Rotterdam (pronounced) is the 2nd-largest City by population in the Netherlands, located in the province of The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Go-To card is a Contactless Smart card used to pay Fares for Bus and Light rail lines operated by Metro Transit For the town in Greece see Myki Greece. History Work on a replacement public ticketing system in Victoria commenced in Late 2002 Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 The Presto card, originally known as the GTA Farecard, is a Smartcard -based fare payment system for Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton, Ontario The Greater Toronto Area (locally abbreviated as the GTA) is the most populous Metropolitan area in Canada. For a list of all TransLink services see the list of TransLink services. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland The smart card can be use on train, bus and ferry networks; Rejsekort in Zealand (rest of Denmark in 2009); OPUS in the province of Quebec (to be completed in 2009)

• Mobile payment — uses a passenger's cell phone as a payment device. Citytrain is the brand name of urban suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia. History The CityCat service runs along the Brisbane River between Apollo Road in the suburb of Bulimba in the east and the University of Queensland Rejsekort (Official translation TRAVEL CARD) is a future electronic ticket system for Public transport in Denmark. Zealand (also Sealand Danish: Sjælland;) is the largest Island (7031 km² of Denmark (excluding Greenland The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Mobile payment (also referred to as mobile web payment or WAP billing is the collection of money from a consumer via a mobile device such as their Mobile phone, SmartPhone
  • SMS or Java based systems are present in a few cities in Europe, as supplementary fare charging systems. Short Message Service ( SMS) is a Communications protocol allowing the interchange of short text messages between mobile telephone devices. In computing the Java Platform Micro Edition or Java ME (still commonly referred to by its previous name Java 2 Platform Micro Edition or J2ME) is a specification
  • 2005 SMS Ticket service for KTX Family Card — South Korea
  • 2006 Mobile Suica and other Osaifu-Keitai (phones with embedded microprocessors like smartcards) compliant applications, such as Mobile e-card in Japan, Mobile T-money

Free systems

Free or Zero-fare public transport services are funded in full by means other than collecting a fare from passengers. KTX Family Card is membership program and membership card of Korail South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː is a service for Osaifu Keitai Mobile phones first launched on January 28, 2006 by NTT DoCoMo and au in Japan, and now literally meaning "Wallet Mobile" is a Trademark of NTT DoCoMo, which developed the system is a rechargeable contactless Smart card ticketing system for public transport by Iyo Railway (Iyotetsu in Matsuyama, Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. T-money is a rechargeable series of cards and other "smart" devices used for paying transportation fares in and around Seoul and other areas of South Korea A fare is the Fee paid by a traveler allowing him or her to make use of a Public transport system rail, Bus, taxi, etc

Main article: Zero-fare public transport

Zero-fare services may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation or by commercial sponsorship by businesses. Zero-fare Public transport services are funded in full by means other than collecting a Fare from passengers For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. They usually use relatively small vehicles such as buses and trams. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train

Several mid-size European cities and many smaller towns around the world have converted their entire bus networks to zero-fare.

See also: Category:towns and cities with zero-fare transport

Local zero-fare shuttles or inner-city loops are far more common than city-wide systems.

See also: Category:towns and cities with limited zero-fare transport

Free travel pass

A Free travel pass is the right of a certain class of passengers to use a public transport service without paying a fare or presenting a ticket. This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used A fare is the Fee paid by a traveler allowing him or her to make use of a Public transport system rail, Bus, taxi, etc A ticket is a Voucher to indicate that one has paid for Admission to an event or establishment such as a Theatre, Movie theater, Amusement They may need to present an identification card. An identity document, also called a piece of identification ( ID) is a document used to verify aspects of a person's Identity.

Main article: Free travel pass

The following types of passenger often receive free travel on transport services:

• students
• elderly persons
• children
• employees
• persons with physical or mental disabilities

Social and Culture Issues

Food & drink

Longer distance public transport sometimes sell food and drink on board, and/or have a dedicated buffet car and/or dining car. A Free travel pass is the right of a certain class of Passengers to use a Public transport service without paying a Fare or presenting a ticket The word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation Verb "studēre" Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A buffet is a meal serving system where patrons serve themselves A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers.

However, some urban transport systems forbid the consumption of food, drink, or even chewing gum when riding on public transport. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Sometimes only types of food are forbidden with more risk of making the vehicles dirty, e. g. ice creams and French fries.

Noise

In addition to talking to each other, many passengers use their cell phone in public transport. Although usually not allowed, sometimes music is played aloud. Some rail operators provide "quiet cars" where also talking is not allowed. On trains and buses in Hong Kong, buses and trains provide free TV. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Buses provide gossip and hi-tech news, while trains provide news (Newsline Express)

Safety

Despite the occasional highly publicized incident, the vast majority of modern public transport systems are well designed and patrolled and generally have low crime rates. Newsline Express ( is a service on MTR trains which provides Cable TV news and Infotainment programmes Good lighting, CCTV, mirrors to see round blind corners and ensuring that there are always a good number of other people around can be used to increase safety and create a feeling of safety. Most transit operators have developed methods to discourage people from using their facilities for overnight shelter.

Critics of public transportation systems often claim they attract "undesirable elements" and tell of violent criminals preying on passengers and homeless people sleeping on trains and relieving themselves in public areas. ^[17]. On a few occasions, passengers have reacted by taking the law into their own hands (as in the notorious 1984 case of the "subway vigilante", Bernhard Goetz). Bernard Hugo Goetz, known as Bernhard or Bernie (born November 7, 1947) was dubbed the "Subway Vigilante" by the New York press

When compared to the private car however, public transport is a very safe form of transport in terms of deaths per passenger km. By way of contrast, car accidents as estimated to cause some 1 million fatalities per year world wide. In the United States alone there were 42,643 automobile accident fatalities in 2003, almost three times the total number of murders (14,408).

See also: RoadPeace UK National charity for road crash victims

Sleeping

In the era when long distance trips took several days, sleeping accommodations were an essential part of transportation. Lodging or a holiday accommodation is a type of residential Accommodation. Today, most airlines and long-distance trains offer reclining seats and many provide pillows and blankets for overnight travelers. Better sleeping arrangements are commonly offered for a premium fare (e. g. first class, business class, etc. First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a Train, Passenger ship, Airplane, or other conveyance Business class (also known as executive class or upper class is a high quality second-tier Travel class available on some commercial Airlines and rail lines ) and include sleeping cars on overnight trains, larger private cabins on ships and airplane seats that convert into beds. The sleeping car or sleeper is a railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another primarily for the purpose of making Budget-conscious tourists sometimes plan their trips using overnight train or bus trips in lieu of paying for an hotel.

The ability to get additional sleep on the way to work is attractive to many commuters using public transportation. Occasionally, a local transit route with a long overnight segment and which accepts inexpensive multi-use passes will acquire a reputation as a "moving hotel" for people with limited funds. Most transportation agencies actively discourage this. For this and other reasons passengers are often required to exit the vehicle at the end of the line; they can board again in the same or another vehicle, after some waiting. Also, even a low fare often deters the poorest individuals, including homeless people. Homelessness is the condition and social category of people who lack housing because they cannot afford or are otherwise unable to maintain regular safe and adequate shelter

One example of the moving homeless shelter phenomenon is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) bus line 22 [5] between Palo Alto, California and San Jose, California in the United States. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA is a Special-purpose district responsible for public transit services congestion management specific highway improvement Palo Alto (ˌpæloʊˈæltoʊ from Spanish: palo: "stick" and alto: "high" i The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It is often called "Hotel 22" or "Motel 22" by the homeless of Silicon Valley. For the valley nicknamed "Silicone Valley" see San Fernando Valley. ^[18][19]A pass for a night costs US$5. 25 and $61. 25 for a month, much less than a hotel, house or apartment.

Another example is the interurban rail services operated by CityRail out of Sydney, Australia. For the Beijing subway line known as the CityRail Line see Line 13 Beijing Subway CityRail is an operating division of RailCorp Fairly comfortable trains operate between Sydney and Lithgow or Newcastle during the night, trips of approximately 2½ hours. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Age, Disability and Sole Parent pensioner excursion fares are AU$2. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas 50 for an all-day ticket.

The New York City Subway and Chicago 'L', both which operate 24 hours per day, also see homeless people who sleep in the subway system, both in stations and on trains. The New York City Subway is a Rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency The 'L' (variously and sometimes, styled "L" El EL or L) is a Rapid transit system that serves the city of

Smoking

In the United States, most of the EU, Australia and New Zealand, smoking is prohibited in all or some parts of most public transportation systems due to safety and health issues. Generally smoking isn't allowed on the actual buses and trains, while rules concerning stations and waiting platforms differ from system to system. The situation in other countries varies widely.

Heritage Transport Systems Around The World

Some means of rail-based public transport are also tourist attractions and/or well known landmarks in their own right. These include San Francisco's famous cable cars, the Molli steam powered train in Bad Doberan, the kusttram along the whole Flemish coast, the Schwebebahn Wuppertal, the Seattle Monorail, the Enoshima Electric Railway in Kamakura, Japan, Routemaster buses in central London and the Christchurch Tram

Emerging technologies

• Dual mode transit
• Personal rapid transit
• Automated highway systems
• Bus rapid transit
• Maglev rapid transit

See also

• Arranging models of public transport
• Bus deregulation
• International Union of Public Transport
• New Mobility Agenda
• Passenger Transport Executive
• Public transport route planner
• Public transport timetable
• Quality Assurance in Public Transport
• Shared transport
• Transmodel
• Transit-oriented development
• Transport in present-day nations and states
• Transit planner
• Transit fares
• Travel class
• Utility cycling
• Urban economics

References

External links

• UITP | International Association of Public Transport
• European Local Transport Information Service (ELTIS) provides case studies concerning public transport as a local transport concept
• NAUTF | North American Urban Transit Forum

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