US Cities with the best public transportation 2022

US Cities with the best public transportation 2022

With the recent increase in fuel costs that has been reported nationwide over the last few months, we felt that an article on the best cities with public transportation was necessary. So, if you’re feeling the pinch and want to know which city may be best for you without having to purchase a Tesla, read on! 

To provide and compile the data within the report we have used our own data sources and have also consulted the Alltransit ranking guide. The order of rankings and cities being included considered a range of different factors which will be discussed throughout the article.

Newark, NJ

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Starting off in tenth place for the best cities for public transportation we have Newark. Within the city, there are 314,006 jobs, all accessible within a 30 minute trip. There are also 26.7% of commuters who choose to use transit. Newark has options of bus, subway and commuter train available with 39 bus routes that run throughout the city. These factors combined gave Newark a ranking of 8.7. Not bad, but definitely room for improvement.

Cleveland, OH 

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Coming in at ninth place for the best cities with public transportation is Cleveland. From the data available it identifies 182,050 jobs that are available in the city. Additionally there are 10.4% of commuters who opt for public transportation. Commuters in Cleveland have the options of bus, trolley and train lines all throughout the city.  It was the fact that the city had over 3000 more transit trips compared to Newark that secured the city a higher place in the rankings. These factors combined gave Cleveland a score of 8.8. 

Portland, OR

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In eighth place for the best cities for public transportation we have Portland. Within the city, there are 254,218 jobs that are accessible within a 30 minute trip. There are also 13.4% of commuters who choose to use transit. The city also features an extensive public transportation system including TriMet which operates a fleet of 688 buses on a network of 79 bus routes. These factors combined gave Portland a ranking of 8.9 for public transportation. 

Philadelphia, PA

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In seventh place on our list for the best US cities for public transportation is Philadelphia. The city boasts 378,628 jobs which are accessible within a 30 minute trip. It was also found that 26.2% of commuters opted for public transportation. The public transportation authority in Philadelphia is called SEPTA which offers 129 bus routes with 13051 bus routes. Not only is it extensive yet efficient, it is also easy on the wallet as it only costs $2 per person for a single ride or $5 for an all-day pass. These factors combined gave Philadelphia a grand score of 9.0.

Chicago, IL

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In sixth place for the best cities for public transportation we have Chicago. Within the city, there are 547,628 jobs, all accessible within a 30 minute trip. There are also 29.5% of commuters who choose to use transit. There are also 11 transit routes within ½ mile. These factors combined gave Chicago a ranking of 9.1. 

Jersey City, NJ

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From sixth place we move rapidly in to third place as there are three cities all tied with a total score of 9.3 each. Jersey, NJ is one of those cities ranked highly for being one of the best American cities for public transportation. With a total of 869,259 jobs available in the city there is a greater demand for transport in Jersey City. It is also noted that 50.1% of commuters use public transportation.

Boston, MA

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Photo by Jayden Burdick from Pexels.com

Included in a three way tie for the best cities for public transportation, we have Boston. Within the city, there are 645,907 jobs, all accessible within a 30 minute trip. There are also 34.87% of commuters who choose to use transit. There are also 16 transit routes within ½ mile. These factors combined gave Boston a ranking of 9.3. 

Washington, DC

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The last city tied for third is the capital of the United States, Washington, DC. It is great to see that the capital city has been featured in the top ten American cities for public transport. There are a total of 658,064 jobs available in Washington. It has also been identified that 37.6% of commuters in the city choose public transportation. These factors combined grant Washington a total of 9.3, 

San Francisco, CA

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In second place for the best cities for public transportation we have San Francisco. 

The city has always been associated with the streetcar, but local residents refer to the transit system as Muni which is San Francisco’s bus and metro system that operates within the city. The service offers buses, trains, cable cars and the F-line heritage streetcar all of which contribute in providing great public transportation for the city. Within the city, there are 653,730 jobs, all accessible within a 30 minute trip. There are also 36.5% of commuters who choose to use public transportation. These factors combined gave San Francisco a ranking of 9.6. 

New York, NY

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Photo by Tim Samuel on Pexels.com

Finally, for the number one spot on the list of cities for best public transportation we have New York. Infamous globally for the New York Subway, it is no surprise to see New York ranking so highly. Additionally, there are almost 1.4 million jobs available in the city, all accessible within a 30 minute trip. It has also been noted that 59% of commuters opt for public transport in the city. These factors combined gave New York a total 9.6 to attain top position.

There you have it, that’s our list for the top ten cities for public transportation in the United States. We hope that you found this article insightful and useful! If you’re now considering relocating to another city be sure to read through our other articles to learn more about the different US cities and what makes them all unique.

About CITYTISTICS

Citytistics is the leading website for city data and insights for cities in America. Our goal is to help you find the right place to live, work, and play. We provide cost of living, crime rates, and happiness levels for cities across the United States. Whether you are looking to move to a new city or just want to learn more about your current city, Citytistics has the information you need!

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