public transit

noun

variants: or British public transport

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of public transit

: mass transit

… an annoying little secret of suburban life is that, even with traffic congestion, it's almost always faster to get somewhere in a car than by riding public transit.
—Gregg Easterbrook

See public transit defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of public transit from the Web

If demand for public transit collapses, then the people who really rely on it the most, poor and working class people, may find even fewer ways to get around, leading to greater hardship.

— john gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Driverless cars may make traffic worst, not better," 5 Apr. 2018
Under the agreement, Uber riders in Manhattan’s central business district below 96th Street will pay a $2.75 surcharge and yellow cab riders will pay a $2.50 surcharge, with the money dedicated to improving the city’s public transit system.

— WSJ, "New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and State Lawmakers Strike Budget Deal," 31 Mar. 2018
Under current Arizona law, only tow truck drivers, motorcyclists and public transit vehicle drivers can use the high-occupancy vehicle lane (the specially marked far left lane) when driving alone.

— dustin gardiner, azcentral, "Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey vetoes bill to let police officers use carpool lane," 30 Mar. 2018
Although people can use Google Maps to get around using public transit, those routes may not be best suited for people with wheelchairs or who have other disabilities.

— jonathan vanian, Fortune, "Google Debuts Wheelchair Accessible Routes in Google Maps," 15 Mar. 2018
This year's effort to repeal the ban stalled in the Senate last week after Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, introduced an amendment that would have required Indianapolis city officials to prove public transit money isn't needed to fill potholes.

— kaitlin l lange, Indianapolis Star, "Repeal of light rail ban might be back on track after last-minute Statehouse maneuver," 12 Mar. 2018
According to Camden County police, Nadajia Hill began taking care of the young boy on Friday night, before allegedly boarding public transit to Newark, with the child alongside her.

— caitlin mccabe, Philly.com, "Babysitter arrested and jailed after kidnapping 4-month-old boy," 11 Mar. 2018
Sandra Baker: 817-390-7727, @SandraBakerFWST Related stories from Fort Worth Star Telegram Will voters be asked to further fund public transit in May?

— sandra baker, star-telegram, "Fort Worth's mayor is going to the White House to appear with Trump. Here's why | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 9 Feb. 2018
De Blasio is also opposed to creating a congestion pricing scheme that would charge vehicles entering parts of Manhattan, in order to reduce driving and finance public transit.

— author: william neuman, Anchorage Daily News, "New York City sues oil producers over climate change," 11 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'public transit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.