public transit

noun

variants: US public transit or British public transport

Definition of public transit

: mass transit … public transit remains the smartest way to navigate hectic downtowns. — National Geographer Traveler … jobs restoring our water sewage systems, our highways and bridges, our public transit system and our crumbling schools, ports and public buildings.— Ralph Nader

Examples of public transit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Take, for example, the employer mentioned in a previous column that stopped offering employees a public transit subsidy after shifting to an all-remote model during the pandemic. — Washington Post, "Employee benefits in the post-vaccine world are changing," 8 Apr. 2021 Why not focus on improving public transit options from the Bayview and Excelsior and other distant neighborhoods? — Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, "Golden Gate Park's main drag has been closed to cars during the pandemic. The fight over its future is heating up," 7 Apr. 2021 Oil billionaires Charles and David Koch have tried to derail public transit plans in cities across the nation such as Little Rock, Arkansas, to Nashville. — Jamie Landers, The Arizona Republic, "An Amtrak station might be coming to Phoenix. Here's what that could mean for the city," 3 Apr. 2021 But in public transit research, the cause and effect of adding bike lanes is a matter of debate. — Veronica Penney New York Times, Star Tribune, "Pop-up lanes increase cycling during pandemic, study shows," 2 Apr. 2021 It’s a pledge pitched not at public transit enthusiasts, but drivers. — Aarian Marshall, Wired, "Biden Wants You Out of Your Car and on the Train," 2 Apr. 2021 That’s well below the $500 billion public transit electrification plan put forward by Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Levin along with Senator Elizabeth Warren earlier this month. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "Biden Is Too Worried About the Deficit, Not Worried Enough About Climate Change," 31 Mar. 2021 A year ago the pandemic drained the subway of nearly all its riders, sickened thousands of New York City transit workers and plunged North America’s largest public transit agency into its worst financial emergency ever. — New York Times, "The Subway Needs Riders to Save It. Will They?," 22 Mar. 2021 In contrast, grocery workers, public transit employees and other frontline workers in Washington became eligible for vaccines Wednesday. — Jamie Goldberg, oregonlive, "One year in, coronavirus pandemic has upended life for Oregon’s workers and exposed stark disparities," 21 Mar. 2021

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about public transit

Dictionary Entries near public transit

public television

public transportation

Statistics for public transit

Last Updated

11 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Public transit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20transit. Accessed 20 Apr. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Comments on public transit

What made you want to look up public transit? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

adulate

Listen to the pronunciation of adulate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Name that Thing: Flower Edition

Name that flower

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Spell words. Make bears.

TAKE THE QUIZ