Why American Public Transportation Fails

One of the interesting things about being in London was being dependent on public transportation to get around the city. Outside of some large major metropolitan areas (mainly New York), subway systems and other public transportation systems in the United States do not have as much currency and as much ridership as those in Europe. This is especially true in the Baltimore/Washington area.

So I asked myself why the London Underground works, while the Baltimore Light Rail/Metro system and the Washington Metro are not as useful and efficient.

• Coverage: The London Underground is an expansive system that services almost the entire city. Just take a look at this map of the tube (PDF) to see how large and how expansive the system really is. You can get just about anywhere in London on the tube, and that is even more so when you combine them with the well marked, well serviced bus system. Compare that to the lame Baltimore metro, the better, but still one-lined Light Rail, or the better, but still compartively sparse Washington Metro.
  
• Signage: Underground stops are well signed; you can see them from long distances, without having to search around for them.
• Station Placement: Stations are easily accesible from pedestrian streets. Many stations have entrances in normal storefronts. On the Baltimore metro, you have to search and search in the maze of buildings downtown to find the station entrance. It is even harder to fight a light rail stop if you are unfamiliar with the area. And once you find those stations, you realize that they are somewhat isolated from the areas which they service.
• Security: There is not an overwhelming sense of security when it comes to things like terrorism. However, when it comes to crimes such as roberry and assault, they have it covered. Stations and cars are well-lit, and always have Tube personnel around to keep an eye on things.
  

The one thing that makes the Tube far superior to American mass transit is in this small example of their priorities. Many tube stations have snack kiosks or soda machines that allow you to buy beverages and snacks to consume on the train. That means no stories about 12-year olds with french fries; and there were no bugs on the tube.