public transit system
2
2.7
- noun
- /ˈpʌblɪk ˈtrænzɪt ˈsɪstəm/
- US
:
sistema de transporte público
- Greenbelt also uses biodiesel to run its Connector bus, which ferries Greenbelters on short trips within the city, filling gaps in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area public transit system.
- city's public transit system
- world-class public transit system
- U.S. public transit system
It was home to public hospitals, to zoos, to well stocked public libraries, an affordable public transit system, and a tuition free City University.
- It was home to public hospitals, to zoos, to well stocked public libraries, an affordable public transit system, and a tuition free City University.
Examples
-
Three days after Superstorm Sandy struck New York, the city's public transit system, which 31.1% of commuters in the greater metro area utilize daily, is crawling back to life.
Blog text (25) -
Last year, during Irene I think, my city shut down the whole public transit system.
Blog text (20) -
How clean the public transit system is compared to New York!
Blog text (6) -
Cold winters, but they got a great public transit system.
-
Yes, there is a light rail public transit system in Houston!
Blog text (7) -
The problem is that the public transit system is Vancouver-centric.
Blog text (32) -
And within the city, much of the public transit system is still offline or overtaxed.
Blog text (28) -
There's no question that cities would be better, more livable places with fully funded public transit systems, bike-friendly streets, and enhanced walkability.
Blog text (22) -
Nearly three-quarters of all Moscone Center employees regularly commute using alternative transportation, reflecting San Francisco's extensive and accessible public transit system.
Blog text (23) -
The Municipal Railway was the first public transit system in the United States.
Synonyms
177
3.6
A system of buses and trains that carries people around a city
39
1.4
Services like buses or trains that anyone can use in a city, usually for a small fee
16
1.9
A system of buses and trains that people use to travel
How Extensive
- Specialized
1
5.2
- Specialized
23
3.2
- US
2
2.7
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
Each constituent ('public' = available to everyone, 'transit' = movement/transport, 'system' = organized network) composes directly into the overall meaning of an organized network of transport for the public. This is a straightforward, compositional phrase that is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily understand it.
Etymology
The phrase public transit system comes from simple ideas: public means 'for everyone', transit means 'moving from one place to another', and system means linked parts. Cities long ago ran shared horse carriages and later buses and trains so people could travel without a car, so today the phrase means a group of buses, trains, or subways that people can use.