Originally posted by LittleBigMan
I disagree.
The majority of the U.S. population lives in metropolitan areas equipped with public transportation.
Some would discount any public transportation system simply because they don't want to walk a few blocks or sit next to someone different. This is not a logical choice, it is an emotional one.
The majority of the US does live in what the Census Bureau considers metro areas. With the exception of large cities, many lack adequate public transportation, if it exists at all. Few cities have the coverage of a large metro area such as Washington DC, NYC, etc.
As I said before, many people are unable to even walk a few blocks due to their physical limitations.
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet...ts=41381023250
The above is a breakdown of population by "metro" areas by the US Census. I've been to several of those places and you would be hard pressed to find a bus, much less a train. There is a helluva difference between a population center of a million plus versus 80,000-100,000.