[M II A II R II K]

Munich Tops Europe Transit Study


MARCH 2, 2010

Read More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703807904575097141734652992.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

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Munich has Europe's best public transport, according to a new study published Tuesday that finds commuters and visitors in 22 other cities face a range of quality in public information, travel times and charges. The survey of 23 European cities found nine offering only "acceptable" bus, streetcar and metro services and said more must be done to make public transport an attractive alternative to driving a car into a city.

The study by EuroTest, a group of automobile clubs in 15 nations led by Germany's ADAC, rated local public transport on travel time, information, ease of transfer, costs, operating hours and access to bike and car parking. Of the cities surveyed, only Munich rated "very good" because of fast connections, "plenty of information at stops and in vehicles" and an "extremely impressive" Web site.

The survey said public transit is "good" in 11 cities—Helsinki, Vienna, Prague, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Frankfurt Barcelona, Leipzig, Cologne, Rome and Bern. However, their evaluation shows weak points. While Rome has cheap public transit and good transfers, it informs travelers very poorly. And taking a bus in Frankfurt is relatively expensive. The study rated public transportation as only "acceptable" in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Oslo, Lisbon, Madrid, London and Budapest.

A "very poor" grade went to Zagreb—where downtown street cars average only 13 kilometers (nine miles) per hour—and to Ljubljana. Both are now revamping their transit systems.

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PDF Results

 

[The Mad Navigator]

The Germans truly are masters of public transport.

 

[tapper of spines]

Zurich wasn't on the list. Zurich beats Munich hands down.

TOS

 

[GTS]

I read on Wikipedia that the Metropolitan area of Munich has about 5 million people and that is comparable to the GTA. If all the subway and LRT routes planned becomes reality, Toronto will be one of the best cities in the world regarding public transit.

 

[andomano]

So... Munich metro area population = GTA population, therefore TTC rules the world?

 

[Archivist]

I think this survey would have been more interesting if it had included a wider variety of cities. Why Zagreb but no Berlin or Birmingham?

I can only imagine what it would say about transit in North America if they used the same criteria .... not a pretty outcome, I am certain.

 

[LAz]

I like this thing. I wish there were more such comparisons. Can anyone find any?

It's such a shame that some other eastern european cities are not listed... such as Bucharest, Belgrade, Moscow, Kiev, Sofia, and Petersburg.

 

[unimaginative2]

I've ridden on all the systems considered good (except Leipzig) and I have to say that they're all very good systems. I certainly think Paris should also fit in that category. While it has issues like crowding (outside Toronto, that's considered a problem not a mark of success) and information, you can't beat it for comprehensiveness. It's also relatively cheap and speedy thanks to the RER. Service is admittedly poorer further out in the suburbs, and maybe that's the reason for the acceptable rating. I certainly wouldn't say it's worse than Rome. I lived in Munich for a bit and I have to say the system is excellent. The subway is fast, clean, comfortable, and you can almost always get a seat outside the central core. The S-Bahn network is also very comprehensive and easy to use (every 20 minutes on all lines).