mass transit

noun

chiefly US

: the transportation of large numbers of people by means of buses, subway trains, etc., especially within urban areas

also : the system, vehicles, or facilities engaged in such transportation

I rode mass transit—first the bus, then Metro—for nearly two decades.

—Fred Barnes

Examples of mass transit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As agencies recover from that recent blow, issues of regional collaboration, local needs and limited funding have come to a head in sprawling, fast-growing metro areas ill-suited for efficient mass transit. —Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026

Fares will likely never be high enough to cover all mass transit costs without the massive public subsidies being granted each year. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

Riders are hoping this event can show the power of mass transit without leaving the everyday riders behind. —Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026

Other politicians pressed Rayna to support mass transit options that ranged from rail service to water taxis to parking spaces. —Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mass transit

• paratransit