As the world continues to grow, transportation infrastructure and country-country travel are forced to rapidly improve. But what’s at the top of the game?
10.) Seoul Metropolitan Subway
Seoul’s subway system is world class. Friendly and approachable for international travelers while also maintaining a clean and useful status 24/7 for all of its riders.
Suggested By: AMGFTMFW, Photo Credit: Bytemarks via Flickr
9.) Global Air Travel
With thousands of flights occurring each day, it’s amazing to think about how seamless air travel really is. Go ahead, think about it! They’re just big metal tubes with massive engines strapped to them. Sometimes hauling around 300 people across the earth at speeds of over 500 MPH. How did we get here?
There’s not much that can even come close to what air travel has done for modern civilization.
Suggested By: For Sweden, Photo Credit: Ted Eytan via Flickr
8.) Dublin’s LUAS
Free rides to seniors, a full honor system where tickets are rarely checked and a smart card feature where the transit payment system makes sure that you’re not being ripped off if you don’t decide to buy an unlimited ticket. Damn, I wish the New York City’s MTA cared about its riders that much.
Suggested By: Declan Hackett, Photo Credit: William Murphy via Wikipedia
7.) Delhi Metro
In such a massive city like New Delhi, it comes an immense surprise that they have an extremely clean, reliable transit system that flows through the urban network like it does. Reader Towerblocks can explain further.
Efficient, clean (I mean actually clean, not just by India’s standard) and rate of construction of the system (208 km in 15 years and increasing to 364 km next year). The biggest achievement being the location of the stations and the lines which goes under some of the worlds oldest structures and remains of five kingdoms and through the congested streets of the city of poets. It’s kind of romantic to think that under the city of nawabs and poets there is a 60 kph train running. The costs of construction of metro has been one of the lowest of all time with great on time performance and immaculate trains.
Suggested By: Towerblocks, Photo Credit: Sd280391 via Wikipedia
6.) Amsterdam’s Bicycle Program
When utilizing Amsterdam’s bike program, one can take free bicycles for a park-ride or make use of their own bike and explore the city. Good luck doing that in a big American city without getting struck by a taxi.
Suggested By: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy, Photo Credit: Dennis Jarvis via Flickr
5.) The German Autobahn System
Built and maintained for safety, comfortability and high-speed auto travel, Germany’s Autobahn highway system is one of the most advanced in the world. Because of the strictness of driver responsibility in Germany, it is rather rare that you’ll see any of the common American mistakes, like camping in the left lane, never signaling, or rubbernecking everything. Nearly everyone on the Autobahn obeys the law. And because almost everyone obeys the law, much highway enforcement is left to speed cameras, tailgating cameras and other automated systems.
Suggested By: Brian Silvestro, Photo Credit: Dirk Vorderstraße via Flickr
4.) SNCF TGV
Even after being active for over 30 years, France’s TGV rail system has yet to have any fatal accident occur on its rail lines. Might I remind you that these trains are capable of over 350 MPH on rails. On rails!
Suggested By: facw, Photo Credit: Taxiarchos via Wikipedia
3.) The Shinkansen
The Shinkansen lines, also known as the Bullet Train are some of the most well-kept rail lines in the world. Covering over 1600 miles of rail line throughout Japan at speeds of around 200 MPH and with a record top speed of 375 MPH, the Shinkansen’s 350 million-odd passengers each year are left with no complaints.
Suggested By: Smorgasborg, Photo Credit: Rsa via Wikipedia
2.) Copenhagen Metro
Its most major line is fully automated and simultaneously coexists with the other manned transportation services that Copenhagen offers. And thanks to a pre-set headway on all lines, these trains are nearly never late. That’s insane.
Suggested By: Hiver, Photo Credit: News Oresund via Flickr
1.) Space Travel and the SpaceX Falcon-9/Dragon
This rocket setup uses some of the most advanced technology currently known to man. The first stage of thrust powered by nine Merlin Engines in an octoweb formation and has the ability of losing power from two engines without compromising the rest of the flight. It’s the only rocket system in the world that can do that, and this was all done by a private company!
Now SpaceX engineers are trying to figure out how to get it to land on a floating-platform in the middle of the ocean. If that doesn’t sound sci-fi’y, I don’t know what might.
Speaking of Elon, I wonder how the Hyperloop project of his is doing.
Suggested By: infinityedge, Photo Credit: SpaceX
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day’s Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It’s by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: SpaceX