What's the cheapest mass-transit system to run?A metro(underground),a bus service, a train service,or trams?

Answer 1

Trams

The majority of costs incurred in a metro system is for lighting, which makes it much more expensive, however, it has the advantage of running below the existing systems, and thus is the best system in areas of high transport use.

Buses keep 40 cars off the road when full, but the engine is equivalent to 5 small cars, in fuel when just stuck in traffic jams and takes up the space of three small cars on the road. thus unless they have 20 people on them, are not so green.

Trains are very efficient, but need to be used, a single carriage holding 70 people will take about the same amount of fuel as four cars to move. however, the single carriage is so heavy, it costs the same as one car to move empty.

Trams are light railways, being the same as a car to move, when empty, and like three cars to move when full, but not having to carry around their fuel, or creating fumes, they are both efficient and clean. The power station can adjust its output for the amount of traffic on the system, and modern trams have fly wheel counter weights built into them to reduce power loss when braking, and first pulling away.

Mass transit can be divided down into rapid transit, such as metros and surface light rail systems, designed for commuting between urban and suburban centres, and local services, designed to connect areas of use.

Mass transit can be divided also into fixed route systems (often involving rails), such as trams and underground trains, and nonfixed route transit (along surface streets or water), such as buses and ferries, but does not usually include airplanes, taxis, or long-distance rail with more formal ticketing procedures.

Mass transit systems offer considerable savings also in labour, materials, and energy over private transit systems. Since far fewer operators are required per passenger transported, they can be better trained and more strictly licensed and supervised. The staff cost is one of the biggest factors in the ticket price.

When utilized to any reasonable fraction of their capacity, mass transit vehicles carry a far higher passenger load per unit of weight and volume than do private vehicles. They also offer fuel savings, not only because of the relative reduction in weight transported, but also because they are large enough to carry more efficient engines.

Further, if emphasis is given to mass transit in the planning of future ground transportation systems, smaller rights of way will be possible, lessening the amount of landscape that must be paved over for highways and roads. Although mass transit offers many savings, it does require some sacrifices in personal convenience. These are the necessity to travel on a fixed rather than an individually selected schedule and to enter and disembark from the system only at certain designated locations. The obvious goal for a mass transit system is to have as few unused passenger seats as possible.

Answer 2

In the early fifty's General Motors pulled a fast one they told City's they would provide buses cheaply if the City pulled up street car tracks. Overhead electric powered street cars or diesel electric powered street cars running on tracks were the way to go. New Orleans kept several street car lines. Some European city's still have narrow gage street car tracks.