rapid transit

noun

: fast passenger transportation (as by subway) in urban areas

Examples of rapid transit in a Sentence

We'll use rapid transit to get from the airport to the hotel.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the best elements of bus rapid transit (BRT) is that passengers pay before the vehicle arrives and then just flow unimpeded into the bus. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026

Renderings show a nearly 17,000‑square‑foot plaza along Forbes, restaurant space at street level, event and exhibition areas and direct connections to a future bus rapid transit station. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 30 June 2026

The Silver Line is a bus rapid transit system operating in dedicated tunnels. — Michele Herrmann, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

The law forces cities to approve taller apartment and condominium complexes around rail stops, ferry terminals and rapid transit bus stops, overriding local restrictions that might have stopped development in the past. — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rapid transit

• paratransit

Kids Definition

rapid transit

noun

: fast public passenger transportation (as by subway) in cities