Public transport

Public transport (Commonwealth English) comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not travel in their own vehicles. It is also called public transportation, public transit or mass transit (US English). While it is generally taken to include rail and bus services, wider definitions would include scheduled airline services, ferries, taxicab services etc. - any system that transports members of the general public. A further restriction that is sometimes applied is that it should take place in shared vehicles, which would exclude taxis insofar as they're not shared.

Economic impact

Many cities find that new public transportation systems have substantial economic benefits, attracting development and increasing real estate values. Well planned, fixed guideway systems, such as rail, seem to have more impact, apparently because they imply a long term commitment to providing transportation to specific locations. Transit oriented development attempts to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of public transit investments by encouraging greater development density within walking distance of stations.

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Translating economic impact into a steady source of revenue for public transport construction and operation has been a dream for most urban planners. Few localities have the ability to assign development rights to a private transit operator, as Hong Kong has done, though their success illustrates the potential of this idea.

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Others argue that public transit is a failed initiative because of its high expense and ineffectiveness. They claim per-mile construction and maintenance cost of constructing a subway or light rail line often equals or excedes that of a urban freeway, yet do not divert the same number of automobiles (though supporters of public transport dispute this for urban areas). Furthermore, public transit projects often does not include long term operating costs, which are usually not covered by fares. At times, transit unions have staged strikes, threatening to hold the city population hostage until their demands are met. However, automobile congestion continues to grow http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7789491/ and since 1995, U.S. public transportation ridership has risen 21 percent ? more than the same period's increase in roadway vehicle miles or airline passenger miles. http://www.publictransportation.org/ Several U.S. states that were considerd bastions of highway-only thinking, such as Colorado and Utah had approved major public transportation investments by 2005.

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