The best public transit systems are hybrids of light rail and bus.
Philly is a good example of this – Septa to bring folks in from the burbs. The El and the Broad Street line for intra-city cross town type stuff. And buses to get between neighborhoods.
A good friend in Philly was 37 before she got her drivers license – was a mom, employee, functioning person all without a car.
When I was in NYC 2 years ago for a week we used 100% public transportation – trains/subway combos to get to/from the airport. Cross town buses to get across central park. Subway lines to go north/south. We didn’t even use a taxi… all public transit. It was fast and looking at the people on the buses and subways – it was the way everyone traveled – including the middle class and professional folks. All it took was watching who got on/off the bus near the Met museum to convince you it wasn’t just the poor folks on the bus in NYC.
San Diego’s public transit has some good and some bad. If you live in UTC, Fashion Valley, or Downtown – you can get pretty much anywhere. The trolleys are great. I have quite a few friends who commute by coaster. But if you don’t live or work near a bus line, it’s awful.
