Germans use public transport at a level 18 times higher than do Americans, according to research published in a recent issue of the journal, Transport Review, writes Brian Byrne.
That figure applies to small metro areas, where 7 percent of Germans ride public transport compared to 0.4 percent of Americans. In large cities, German use is six times that of Americans.
The reasons suggested include better infrastructure, with roughly 88 perent of Germans living within a kilometre of a public transport stop, compared to 43 percent of Americans.
Germany also has policies which discourages car ownership and use in cities, including higher fuel and vehicle taxes.
