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| INTRODUCTION - Public transportation | |
Public Transportation, transportation service that is available to the general public and that carries passengers to destinations for a fee. Public transportation is also known as mass transportation or mass transit, since many people use it to travel to common destinations. Although many different types of public transportation systems exist, they can be classified into two main types: common carriers and contract carriers.
A late commuter sprints to catch a train on the underground Metropolitan line in France. Subway systems have a wide variety of names: the Metro in France, the Tube in London, and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in San Francisco. Underground rapid transit originated in New York in the early 1900s, and the network continues to grow as cities expand their transportation options. Common carriers are usually operated by city or regional government agencies and are open to all members of the public willing to pay the posted fare. Common carrier systems include transportation services via subways, buses, streetcars, and light-rail transit. These systems generally run along established routes within a city or metropolitan area, allowing people to travel without using an automobile or other mode of personal transportation. Contract carriers are privately run operations that people hire for a single trip to a given destination. Examples are taxicabs, rental cars, and chartered buses. Contract carriers, which are more expensive than common carriers, can travel to places where bus or subway service may not reach and can operate at times when common carrier service may not be scheduled. 
Rapid transit systems are designed to provide an efficient and convenient mode of public transportation within cities. Most frequently used by commuters unwilling to face city traffic, transit cars move at speeds up to 130 km/hr (80 mph). A given system may transport as many as 40,000 passengers per hour in one direction. Public transportation is usually found in large cities and in densely populated areas. Large cities maintain public transportation because they often have more traffic congestion and less parking space than smaller towns have. Public transportation helps reduce the number of vehicles on the road and is a convenient option for people traveling relatively short distances. Public transportation systems are more widespread in older cities, because these cities established systems before automobile use was common. Older cities tend to be more densely populated, making public transportation a more attractive option than using personal vehicles. Business districts with high concentrations of employment also use public transportation. New York City, London, and Paris are all older cities with large business districts, and all these cities have extensive public transportation networks. London has the most extensive subway system in the world, with 408 km (254 mi) of track. New York City’s system totals 370 km (230 mi), and the Paris system is 211 km (131 mi) long. Public transportation provides an efficient and inexpensive means of transportation for millions of people, but it faces strong competition from the automobile, which offers more flexibility for travelers. Public transportation systems outside the United States tend to be more developed, because of the age of the cities, higher population densities, and the greater willingness of governments to spend money on them. Rail systems, in particular, are more popular in Europe and in Asia than in the United States. |
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TRUCK: • LIGHT TRUCKS • MEDIUM TRUCKS • HEAVY TRUCKS • TRAILERS • TRUCKING OPERATIONS AND REGULATIONS • HISTORY ROAD: • TYPES OF ROADS • Highways • Urban Streets • Rural Roads • ROADWAY ENGINEERING • Roadbed • Base Course • Wearing Course • Bituminous Pavement • Concrete Pavement • ROAD PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION • HISTORY OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION |
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