# Cities with public transit other than buses. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671 "2003-12-12T22:11:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/21 "2003-12-13T00:03:35Z")
Depends on how extensive the public transit needs to be, but Memphis and New Orleans both have streetcars. The one in Memphis will soon be at least fairly useful instead of the tourist attraction it used to be. When I’m in New Orleans, I seem to use the streetcar more than my car. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![Luzion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Luzion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luzion)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/22 "2003-12-13T00:19:57Z")
New York isn’t the only city that has cable cars. San Francisco is known for still having cable cars that run from downtown all the way down to Fisherman’s Wharf. There is a subway system in the Bay Area called BART. But there are also rail cars that not only run underground through downtown, but the majority of the time move on tracks that are out on open streets where the family homes are located. I wonder what kind of system that is called? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/23 "2003-12-13T01:28:56Z")
San Francisco transit: Buses - both diesel and electric trolley coach Subway - Muni Metro\* lines J, K, L, M, N and BART Surface streetcars - Muni Metro F line is on-road only, using [historic streetcars.](http://www.sfmuni.com/aboutmun/histcars.htm) The J, K, L, M, N lines operate on roads and as subway. Cable cars - the only moving national monument Heavy rail commuter train - Caltrain Ferries - The Muni Metro lines operate as subway in the Financial District and as surface streetcars in the outer neighborhoods. BART operates almost entirely as subway in SF, but is open-air for a short distance north of Balboa Park (BART’s southernmost station in SF) station and south of Balboa Park to Daly City. BART uses a unique (for railfans, it’s Iberian Broad Gage) rail gage and third-rail power. Routes, maps and further info on the roughly 28 transit agencies in the Bay Area can be found at [http://www.transitinfo.org/](http://www.transitinfo.org/) Among the historic streetcars, we’ve got No. 1 - Muni’s first streetcar, which began service in 1912, and is the oldest operating streetcar built for a publicly owned and operated transit system in the U.S. Just by coincidence, I rode No. 1 yesterday. Quite a trip. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/24 "2003-12-13T01:31:54Z")
Gah… No sooner do I post, do I remember a far batter site for our historic streetcars - [http://www.streetcar.org/](http://www.streetcar.org/) And here’s [“Wonderful One”](http://www.streetcar.org/fline/streetcars/historic/1/1.html) that I rode yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/25 "2003-12-13T01:43:58Z")
Shanghai Maglev subway light rail ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/26 "2003-12-13T01:45:17Z")
Baltimore has the subway, the light rail, and the MARC train. The MARC train connects to DC’s metro lines, but the others do not. Milwaukee has buses. According to US Representative F. James Sensenbrenner, (R-WI) the reason Milwaukee cannot have light rail is because of the Canada geese. They poop, you see, and this would derail the trains. (No, I don’t have a cite for this, he said it just under four years ago to myself and a small group of other students from my school.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/27 "2003-12-13T02:03:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Billdo \* > \*\* > **Chicago** : Subway, commuter rail. > \*\* Nitpick: most of Chicago’s system is elevated, not undergound. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/28 "2003-12-13T02:09:38Z")
Auckland: suburban train system (two main lines); cross-harbour and inter-island ferries. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/29 "2003-12-13T03:22:21Z")
Some years ago, there was an article in the New Yorker that mentioned that there were exactly six North American citites that have had streetcars continuously since the early part of the 20th, Curiously I have ridden streetcars in all six. Since there are many more cities I haven’t been to than ones I have, this must prove something. They are: Boston Philadelphia Pittsburgh Toronto San Fransisco New Orleans Zurich has an elaborate system of streetcars, trolleybusses, busses and commuter rail. Many other cities in Switzerland have streetcars and/or trolleybusses. Too many to mention. Vancouver has an elaborate system of trolleybusses. Philadelphia had three trolleybus (called trackless trolleys) until about two months ago. There are many cities with subways and/or commuter rail. Some that come to mind (i.e. that I have ridden) include Chicago, London, Paris, Sydney, Frankfurt, Moscow, Tokyo, Kyoto, Edmonton. (I have not ridden the Moscow subway, although my wife has.) And, oh yes, there is a trolley line in San Diego that goes to the Mexican border. There is a town in Germany called Wuppertal that has a suspended monorail that goes back nearly to 1900. Then there are lots of places that have heritage trolleys, but they are basically tourist attractions. Seattle has a load of dual mode busses that operate as trolleybusses in the downtown tunnel, diesel busses outside. ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/30 "2003-12-13T03:27:28Z")
Melbourne has an intricate train and tram network. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/31 "2003-12-13T04:06:58Z")
Don’t forget the ferries in Toronto harbour as well. And if city council gets its act together, we’ll have a cross-lake ferry service to Rochester NY next summer. They’re building a “birail” (my name for it) at the Toronto airport. The Airport People Mover will connect [New Terminal One](http://www.gtaa.com/Index.aspx?Sid=Node2/Node2.2/Node2.2.1/Node2.2.1.1&Tpl=1), Terminal Three, and offsite parking. Eventually it will extend to transit hubs at each end. It looks like a monorail, but has two rails on an open framework, with guide wheels between. The cars will be _cable-drawn_. They claim snow will just fall through the framework, and no clearing of guideways will be necessary. It’s being designed by [url=“[http://www.dcc.at/](http://www.dcc.at/)”]Doppelmayr\*\*; it appears to be their Cable Liner Shuttle. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/32 "2003-12-13T04:10:48Z")
Hello?!? Montreal has a gorgeous metro system, fully integrated with bus and commuter rail. Before the metro was constructed, Montreal had tramways (cable cars, I guess). (Someone ping **matt\_mcl** , fast. I’m worried! :p) ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/33 "2003-12-13T04:15:48Z")
Oops. Didn’t see that **Lsura** mentioned Montreal. We also have adapted transit, and some kind of weird collective taxi thing that I really don’t know much about. Anyway these are the official sites of the Montreal Transit Corporation (STM) and the Metropolitan Transit Agency (AMT): www.stm.info/English/a-somm.htm (English) www.amt.qc.ca (French-only, save for a blurb in English) ---
**Author:** ![altor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@altor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altor)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/34 "2003-12-13T05:31:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Billdo \* > **New York City** : Subway, ferries, commuter rail, cable car. Is there really a cable car around here? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/35 "2003-12-13T06:30:31Z")
I was confused about this for a minute too, but I think the New York cable car **Billdo** is thinking about is the aerial cable car to Roosevelt Island. This is a completely different creature from the San Francisco cable cars, which are tracked trolleys that are pulled by underground cables. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/36 "2003-12-13T06:35:45Z")
Just to tidy up the listing for Seattle, Washington: Gas Buses, Electric/gas buses, monorail, ferry and streetcar (on the waterfront) Portland Oregon: light rail and bus. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/37 "2003-12-13T06:58:13Z")
Without a doubt, the coolest form of public transport I have ever ridden in (I’m a sort of non-obsessive, non-geeky afficianado of public transport systems) is the [Schwebebahn](http://www.metropla.net/eu/vrr/wuppertal.htm) in Wuppertal, Germany. > [@](#): > > The Wuppertal Schwebebahn is the continent’s only suspension urban rail line, which for most of its length runs 12 m above the river Wupper (10 km). Only the westernmost section between Sonnborner Straße and Vohwinkel runs 8 meters above streets (3.3 km). This line can be called a full metro line because it’s totally independent, absolutely urban and runs on a 4-6 minute headway. > > The single rail which carries the train is supported by 472 iron arches that span over the river bed. Currently all these arches are being replaced and also stations are being restored, most of them in their original Jugendstil design. See the neat pictures [here.](http://www.u-bahnen-in-deutschland.de/wu/wuppertal-gallery.htm) Also in Germany, Berlin has subways and Hannover has streetcars. Singapore has a metro that is partly underground and partly elevated. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/38 "2003-12-13T07:16:48Z")
**Bombay** , India - Commuter trains (above ground). They look [like this](http://irfca.org/~shankie/ir1506emubanner.jpg). **Calcutta** , India - Subway, [Trams](http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com/image/tram01.gif) **Singapore** - Metro (partly underground, [partly elevated](http://www.asiatravel.com/singapore/taihoe/gifs/mrt.jpg)), Light rail. ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/39 "2003-12-13T07:20:58Z")
city i was born in (Kiev) had subway. all the stations were done in marble and had escalators, in fact they didn’t even have stairs - escalators only. goddamn communists ! ---
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671/40 "2003-12-13T07:22:01Z")
oh ye, it was 100% underground too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-public-transit-other-than-buses/218671.md?page=3)