Chicago ranked among best cities for public transit
CHICAGO (CBS) -- You might grumble about your morning ride on the "L," but Chicago's public transit is listed among the best in the world, according to a recent survey.
Time Out magazine just published a list of the 19 best cities for mass transit, and Chicago came in No. 17:
"Chicago's public transportation system may not be perfect, but the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) does a decent job of maintaining the city's eight 'L' (short for 'elevated') train lines, plus 129 bus routes. It's introduced innovations like regenerative breaking without skimping on efficiency. And public satisfaction is almost as high as in NYC: according to our survey, 82 percent of Chicagoans have positive things to say about their city's network."
The ranking did not elaborate on any of the issues that have plagued the CTA in recent years, such as crime and so-called "ghost" buses and trains that show up on the agency's bus and train trackers, but never actually arrive. In 19 cities, at least four out of five locals had good things to say about their city's public transit.
Time Out said it surveyed more than 20,000 people who live in more than 50 cities around the world, asking if it's easy to get around on public transportation.
Chicago is one of only two American cities that made the list, along with New York, which came in at No. 15.
The No. 1 city is Berlin, followed by Prague, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. In fact, the whole top ten were cities in Europe and Asia.