Trivia: Which city has the deepest subway system in the world?
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Pyongyang, North Korea
London, England
Budapest, Hungary
Correct Answer: Pyongyang, North Korea
So why is this answer correct? : The deepest subway in the world is the Pyongyang Metro in North Korea, located 360 feet below ground. An estimated 300,000 to 700,000 people ride the Pyongyang Metro daily, but most of it is closed to foreign visitors.
Trivia: The largest ferry system in the U.S. is in which state?
California
Washington
New Jersey
Florida
Correct Answer: Washington
So why is this answer correct? : Washington’s Puget Sound is home to the state’s massive ferry system. With 22 ferries and 20 ports of call, Washington State Ferries serve around 25 million passengers a year. The ferries run routes all over Puget Sound and up to Sidney, British Columbia.
Trivia: “Desire” was the name of a streetcar line in what U.S. city?
Dallas
St. Louis
New Orleans
Nashville
Correct Answer: New Orleans
So why is this answer correct? : From 1920 to 1948, the French Quarter of New Orleans was traversed by the Desire line of streetcars. The route was replaced by buses after nearly three decades in operation, but not before it was immortalized by the Tennessee Williams play, “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The play set in New Orleans depicts Blanche DuBois riding the title vehicle in its opening scene.
Trivia: Where was the world’s first underground subway system built?
Moscow, Russia
London, England
Shanghai, China
Vienna, Austria
Correct Answer: London, England
So why is this answer correct? : London’s Metropolitan Railway opened on January 10, 1863, marking the world’s first underground railway. The line traveled from Paddington (then Bishop’s Road) to Farringdon Street, the first of many routes that would be built over the next century. On December 18, 1890, the underground metro set another first: the first underground electric railway in the world.
Trivia: What city has the fastest train in the world?
Shanghai
Paris
Madrid
Rome
Correct Answer: Shanghai
So why is this answer correct? : Shanghai’s Maglev train is the fastest train in the world. “Maglev” stands for “magnetic levitation,” and the 19-mile ride from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport to the Longyang metro station on the outskirts of Shanghai hits a top speed of 268 mph, takes seven minutes, and costs 50 yuan (about $8) per person. Japan’s L0 Maglev between Tokyo and Nagoya will begin service in 2027 and will likely knock the Shanghai Maglev out of the top spot as the train will reportedly reach an average speed of 313 mph.
Trivia: What is the busiest transit hub in the U.S.?
Penn Station, New York
Union Station, Chicago
Union Station, Los Angeles
Grand Central Terminal, New York
Correct Answer: Penn Station, New York
So why is this answer correct? : New York’s Penn Station is nothing short of massive. Situated beneath Madison Square Garden, the underground station serves a staggering half million people on an average weekday. Six MTA subway lines run through the station, as well as Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit services. Around 1,300 trains enter and leave the station each day.
Trivia: What U.S city had the first public transportation system?
Boston
New York City
Chicago
Philadelphia
Correct Answer: Boston
So why is this answer correct? : Boston, Massachusetts, set the precedent for public transport in America. In 1630, the city opened the country’s first publicly operated ferryboat, the first-recorded instance of public transportation in the colonies. Over two centuries later 1897, the city opened the country’s first subway system. New York City’s first subway didn’t open until 1904.
Trivia: What did the “L” in Chicago’s “L” Trains originally stand for?
Elevated
Light
Electric
Loop
Correct Answer: Elevated
So why is this answer correct? : In 1892, Chicago streets were deeply congested with traffic from horses, pedestrians, and cable cars. In order to mitigate this overwhelming mass of movement, Chicago began building an elevated rail system, nicknamed the “L.” Today, the “L” has 145 stations and 224 miles of tracks that serve nearly 800,000 riders on an average weekday.
Trivia: Which of these forms of transit is free in New York City?
L train
Pedicab
Megabus
Staten Island Ferry
Correct Answer: Staten Island Ferry
So why is this answer correct? : The Staten Island Ferry has been running since 1817, and since 1997, it has been completely free to ride. The ferry is the only direct public transit between Staten Island and Manhattan, and it runs roughly every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The ferry carries more than 20 million riders a year and takes 25 minutes to complete its trip from lower Manhattan to the other borough.
Trivia: San Francisco’s subway shares a name with what “Simpsons” character?
MARGE
HOMER
LISA
BART
Correct Answer: BART
So why is this answer correct? : In the world of public transportation, “BART” stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit. BART serves San Francisco, Oakland, North San José, and beyond with 131 miles of rail lines and 50 stations along six routes. The system is the fifth busiest in the United States, with an average of more than 400,000 weekday passengers and more than 100 million passengers per year.