The environment and the wealth of services and activities cities offer residents are priceless. But urban density creates a sense of both freedom and constraint. Getting around faster and more efficiently while protecting the environment and public health is a challenge that must be addressed.
Efficient public transit is vital for reconciling these competing demands. It not only shapes cities physically, it influences their economic, social and environmental development.
A wide range of transportation options enhances urban quality of life. Transit options form a system whose performance is heavily dependent on how well they complement one another and are coordinated.
To free up urban space and offer a genuine alternative to the automobile, public transit must provide a service that is just as convenient as car travel.
Travel: Train, car, cycle... The biggest walkers live in Alexandria and Prague. one third of the population prefer to cycle in Shanghai and Tokyo.
Veolia Transport, the main taxi operator in Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, has a fleet of about 2,000 vehicles in the United States. Their affiliated call centers took more than 7 million requests in 2008. In 2009, Yellow Cab Company of Baltimore will celebrate its 100th birthday. The oldest taxi system in the United States, it played a preeminent role in the development of some of the city's neighborhoods. It was also the first company to hire female drivers, to communicate by radio and to use hybrid vehicles.