Which US city has the most reliable public transportation?

Jamie BallardData Journalist
October 01, 2018, 5:00 PM GMT+0

Only one-third of Detroit residents say their public transit is reliable

In addition to the Space Needle and world-famous fish markets, Seattle might also be home to the country’s most reliable public transportation, according to its residents. Data from a recent YouGov Citybus poll reveals that the residents of Seattle are the most likely of people in the top 20 most populous metropolitan areas to say that their city’s public transportation is “somewhat” or “very” reliable. Close to two-thirds (63%) say public transportation is reliable, while one in five (20%) say it is unreliable. Similarly, 63% of people in San Francisco say their public transportation is reliable, while 24% disagree.

Majorities in Portland (62%), Denver (59%), Washington DC (57%), Los Angeles (57%) Philadelphia (56%), Chicago (55%), Tampa (51%) and Miami (51%) also say their city’s public transportation is reliable.

Only one-third (33%) of Detroit residents say their public transportation is reliable, while an equal number (33%) say it is unreliable. New York (34%) is the city where residents are most likely to say their public transportation is unreliable, though a larger percentage (49%) say it is reliable.

The respondents surveyed in this YouGov Citybus study reside in the following Designated Market Areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas - Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami - Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis - Saint Paul, New York, Orlando - Daytona Beach Melbourne, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland - Oregon, San Francisco - Oakland - San Jose, Seattle - Tacoma, Tampa - Saint Petersburg, Washington DC.

Learn more about YouGov Omnibus and see more coverage from the Citybus study here.

Image: Getty

Explore more data & articles