Iowa City ranks among top users of public transit in the nation – TheGazette.

Way to go, Iowa City! Almost in the top ten for the United States. Number 11 isn’t bad, but we’re so close to beating Philadelphia that we should make that a goal. :)

From my experiences riding the bus regularly, there’s definitely a wide variety of people that use public transit, from working professionals who could probably drive everyday if they wanted, to those who only have the bus as a means of transportation. I personally take the bus to prevent extra carbon emissions and save some money, but when I can, I bike to get a little extra exercise. I also just like supporting public transit so it remains available to everyone. From what I’ve observed, busing and biking are common in Iowa City, partially because of the pedestrian culture here. I’d be curious how the transit usage numbers would differ between college students and otherwise, but I would guess the difference is not as large as many people would think. That said, other university-centric cities are near the top of the list, so it definitely has an effect.

It’s especially interesting to contrast with the numbers for other places I’ve lived where public transit isn’t used by as many types of people. The numbers seem to match reality pretty well, especially for very car-dependent areas. Where does your city fall in the list?