Outside of New York City , few American metros are equipped to support car - complimentary resident . Many , peculiarly mid - sized cities , have limited public transportation systems , and swear almost wholly on bus systems ( which tend to beless reliablethan trains ) . But that does n’t think of that America is a complete transit waste . Many urban center are proposing andinvesting innew transportation options likebus rapid transit — train - like heap scheme that have their own consecrated lane and few stop than traditional city buses .
Where are these mythological pedestrian oasis - to - be ? A site calledTransit Explorer , make by urbanist writerYonah Freemark , usesOpenStreetMapdata to visualize all of North America ’s “ fixed - guideway theodolite ” option , imply subway system and commuter train train , and double-decker speedy theodolite . It collects current , planned , and proposed transportation system itinerary , depict on the nose which cities are thinking about public transport , and which already have extensive coverage .
It ’s a neat style to explore the future of public transportation , especially in cities not normally thought of as pedestrian havens . Indianapolis does n’t have any current subway or commuter trains , but might soon get a 28 - mile,$100 millionbus rapid theodolite line . On the function , it ’s easy to see what a difference that could make for the city ’s mobility alternative . Los Angeles , long thought of as a stringently elevator car city , is in the process of add several new transit lines that would connect the city ’s downtown with outlying areas , and even more have been propose . WithTransit Explorer , you can also compare America ’s often lacklustre train choice with the refurbishment and extensions planned in Canadian and Mexican cities like Mexico City and Toronto .
[ h / t : The Map Room ]
