1 Public Utilities: Mass Transit

Mass transit, otherwise known as urban public transport, is generally taken to mean transportation services in towns and cities provided in vehicles that are shared by multiple unrelated people. The services can be provided by road, on rails, or in some cases on water. The definition usually excludes taxicab services, intercity travel, and local services provided in rural areas. The history and fortunes of mass transit are intricately related to developments in transportation technology and also technology’s effect on urban structure. Horsepower. Prior to 1800, towns and cities were compact, and nearly all travel was on foot or horseback. In some cities the existence of rivers or canals allowed some wealthier residents to live at some distance from the city center and commute by boat (see, for example, the Diary of Samuel Pepys). There is also evidence that following development of the harness, horse and oxen carts provided rudimentary systems of public conveyance in towns in the 1700s. However, widespread use was limited, pending the breeding of larger horses and improvements in the deplorable conditions of the roadways. There appears to be some agreement that the first modern incarnation of a horse omnibus was in Nantes, France in 1825, its initial purpose being to convey the public to a spa on the edge of town. This operation also gave us the name omnibu