GOOD magazine compares the U.S.‘s top transit systems to leaders around the world. New York has far more track miles than any other world city, but far fewer daily riders than the world’s three top systems. Metro, the U.S.‘s second highest ridership transit system, does pretty well with relatively few track miles, until you compare it to our far denser and more transit-using sister city Paris.

Click to enlarge.

It’d be nice if the graphic also incorporated per-capita ridership. Track miles aren’t a bad metric, but Tokyo, Moscow, Seoul, and Mexico City also happen to be some of the world’s biggest cities period. DC is nowhere near the same league, which inherently handicaps our transit.

Read the full article. Tip: John R.

Tagged: transit

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.