Plain-English transit guides
How do I ride transit in your city?
Every city does transit differently — how you pay, which app you need, how you get from the airport downtown. Public Rides explains each one in plain English.
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- AtlantaGeorgia One rail network plus a growing bus rapid transit line covers the city — tap a bank card or Breeze card for $2.50, and the train from the airport drops you downtown in minutes, no transfer required. 20% frequent →
- BaltimoreMaryland One statewide agency covers the city — pay $2 through the CharmPass app for 120 minutes of unlimited transfers, and the Light Rail runs right from BWI's terminal to downtown. 44% frequent →
- BostonMassachusetts The country's oldest subway system covers the city with four color-coded lines — tap $2.40 to ride, and a free bus gets you in from the airport. 21% frequent →
- ChicagoIllinois A dense, 24-hour rail network plus buses covers the city for about $2.50 a ride, and the Blue Line drops you downtown from O'Hare in around 40 minutes. 34% frequent →
- DallasTexas One agency covers almost everything — tap for $3.00 and ride buses, trains, and the streetcar for three hours, or take the Orange Line straight from DFW to downtown on the same fare. 17% frequent →
- DenverColorado One agency runs the whole system — tap a contactless card for $2.75, and a commuter train (the A Line) covers the 23 miles from the airport to downtown in 37 minutes. 23% frequent →
- HoustonTexas One agency runs it all — tap $1.25 for a bus or train ride with free 3-hour transfers, and a direct bus gets you downtown from either airport. 35% frequent →
- Los AngelesCalifornia One tap-to-ride network spans the county — pay $1.75 with a tap, and get to LAX by rail (with a free shuttle to the terminals) or a direct bus straight to Union Station. 45% frequent →
- MiamiFlorida One flat fare covers Metrorail, Metromover, and the bus — tap $2.25, ride the free people mover around downtown, and the Orange Line runs straight from the airport. 29% frequent →
- MinneapolisMinnesota One flat $2 fare covers buses and trains across the metro, and the Blue Line runs straight from MSP's terminals to downtown in under 30 minutes. 24% frequent →
- New York CityNew York One tap-to-pay system covers the subway and buses — $3.00 a ride with a $35 weekly cap — though reaching either airport takes a transfer or two. 71% frequent →
- PhiladelphiaPennsylvania SEPTA's subway, trolleys, buses, and regional rail cover the whole city for a flat $2.90 fare, with two free transfers if you tap a Key card or contactless card. 34% frequent →
- PhoenixArizona One agency, one Copper Card or app tap covers light rail, streetcar, and bus — $2 a ride, capped at $4 a day — and a free airport train drops you straight onto the rail line. 25% frequent →
- PittsburghPennsylvania One agency runs the buses, light rail, and an incline up the hillside — tap a fare card for $2.75 and the 28X bus gets you downtown from the airport. 15% frequent →
- PortlandOregon One cheap, honor-system network covers the city — pay $2.80 with a tap, and the train from the airport drops you downtown in about 40 minutes. 40% frequent →
- San DiegoCalifornia One regional tap-to-pay system covers buses, the Trolley, and the North County trains — pay $2.50 and ride for two hours, and a direct bus gets you from the airport downtown in about 15 minutes. 31% frequent →
- San FranciscoCalifornia Tap a bank card on everything — Muni covers the city for a flat $2.85, and BART runs you from SFO to downtown in about 30 minutes. 69% frequent →
- SeattleWashington One $3 tap covers the trains and most buses — Link light rail runs from the airport to downtown in about 38 minutes, and you can now pay by tapping your bank card. 48% frequent →
- TorontoOntario One agency, the TTC, runs the subway, streetcars, and buses on a single tap-to-pay fare — and starting this September, tapping enough in a month makes the rest of it free. 53% frequent →
- WashingtonDistrict of Columbia One agency's trains and buses cover the whole region — tap a card for $2.25 to $6.75 depending on distance, and Reagan National sits right on the Blue and Yellow Lines. 40% frequent →
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