"Public transit has experienced a quiet renaissance over the past two decades as the number of transit systems nationally has jumped from 1044 to 7700. Transit use began climbing in the mid-1990s as light rail systems sprang up in many cities and bus service was beefed up in other places. Before the economic slide in 2008, public transportation was carrying more passengers than any time since automobiles began to rule American cities a half-century ago."
The list includes Portland, Minneapolis and Austin.
