In a perfect world, everyone could walk or bike to a rapid-transit station. But in contemporary suburban America, getting there invariably means using a motor vehicle. To facilitate quick multiple-door boarding, fares are paid in the station, using an automated system with more than one payment option. And there is service all day long for working parents and others who may need to get home or run an errand during the middle of the day. It's easy for new customers to learn where the service goes because routes are simple and well mapped at the stations.
Vehicles are roomy, attractive, and well maintained.
They are uniquely identified by color, signage, and design with the route they operate on. The vehicles either have low floors or there are high station platforms to facilitate boarding and alighting, thus reducing dwell times. They are also quiet and nonpolluting. Virtually all new rail transit systems implemented in the last 30 years have these features and perhaps more. But today, the belief that only rail systems can provide high-performance rapid transit is being reconsidered.