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Literally when we were in Vegas, that was one of those damn things ready to take people to the rental car spots, literally all the time. As soon as one left and another one replaced it.
@@yobb1n544 what I really want to address is that it could not matter less how frequently a parking lot shuttle runs relative to how often the local bus system runs. By your analysis if the parking lot shuttle never runs and the local bus runs every hour then the bus system is better than the parking lot shuttle. But here’s the thing buddy, most airports don’t have parking lot shuttles. Most airports (especially car dependent ones) just have the parking garage directly attached to the airport itself. So you’re telling me that McKarren has better public transit than Logan. What really drives me against the wall is that often times a parking lot shuttle is correlated with a better airport location or connection because the rental car service is not premier way that people are getting to the airport. Plus I simply cannot handle people whining on the internet. I watch these videos because I find them interesting I do not need to hear randos complain online.
This difference may actually be on purpose. It is in Columbus, Ohio. Our airport makes more money from parking receipts than it does from the airlines that operate there. Reasonable transit options would screw that up.
Just a note that you can avoid the O'Hare surcharge by just buying a CTA day pass. The price is exactly the same as the fare from O'Hare, and if you take the bus or train even one additional time in the next 24 hours, you've saved the entire surcharge.
Also, the length of the ride itself might seem bad on paper, but when you factor in that a rideshare will probably take about as long during peak arrival times (maybe faster depending on how bad traffic conditions are), it kinda becomes a no brainer to take the train instead. Also also, 10 min headway vs sitting around waiting for an uber to show up. ORD is just really far from downtown, it's a long trip no matter what unless you're touching down late at night. Easy top 3 imo.
@@ObeIiskos Yea i think it would've been fairer if he had done length/mile or per stops. Can't really do much with ~45 min-1hr trips when O'Hare is so far away from Downtown which it should be.
Sounds like a visitor tax? The locals will know this and not pay the surcharge, but visitors won't and will get ripped off. Gatwick Airport does the same. Gatwick Express costs £23 if you buy a paper ticket, Southern Railway, which takes 3 minutes longer is £18.40 peak/£10.10 off peak.
@@katrinabryce most locals know the way to save money! from O’Hare you can take the metro a couple stops and get off then order an Uber (take bus) for less. Also you pay regular fare to O’Hare on the Metro.. You only pay $5 if you’re exiting the airport.
@@katrinabryceevery service in greater Toronto charges more for cash fares and paper tickets than for using Presto stored value. With the new addition of Presto to Apple Wallet you can even get a Presto card on your phone for zero dollars.
@@subjekt5577 As someone whose family is from Pittsburgh but grew up near Cleveland, I have a lot of love for both cities. We’re lucky that they grew and developed pre-WWII. Lots of great legacy institutions and infrastructure to lean on moving forward.
Not sure why my response keeps getting deleted, but everything I’ve found online points to Cleveland being first to have direct service from its airport to its downtown. I’m not familiar with Boston’s airport, though; it might be due to a technicality.
In Germany, some airport rain stations are so busy with traffic, that they are actually major rail hubs in their own right and used for making interchanges (best example of this is Frankfurt)
Even cooler is when I booked a ticket on Lufthansa from the US to some minor city in Germany, I discovered that the last leg, with LH number and boarding pass issued at an overseas airport, was a… train. It went like clockwork.
@corriemayo2715 the Munich airport is like 100km outside the City. The U-Bahn doesn't go there. What you took was probably the S-Bahn. And yes, I bet it took forever, but so would have driving, because the airport is infamous for being extremely far away from the city
Yup, the time maths of train/bus+check in+flight+train/bus Vs direct train/bus between EU city centres is basically the only maths to think about when travelling in Europe.
I just came back from SD and I walked from the airport to my hotel in Little Italy neighborhood and then back to the airport a few days later. It was about an hour's walk each way, but very pleasant. There's a lot of construction going on at the airport, so I may have taken a longer (less direct) route because of that.
The 992 gets stuck in airport traffic so it's rarely on time in my experience. It's a shame it doesn't get it's own lanes. We also have a free shuttle to Old Town transit center to catch many buses and regional rail. San Diego is currently studying a rail connection to downtown, and our new terminal 1 under construction is supposedly designed with space for future rail connection.
Another great option for BOS is the water taxi. You take a shuttle from the terminal directly to the dock and in 5-8 minutes you are in downtown BOS -- you can choose which downtown dock you want to be dropped off at. It doesn't run very early or very late, so it wouldn't meet your criteria on that point, but other than that it is so wonderful.
I enjoyed the Water Taxi to North Station when I used to live north of the city: super-direct and a lot of fun. But yeah... compared to the free Silver Line or the $2.50 subway lines, it's not as economical. Of course, if you're spending $300 on a flight, $20 for a water taxi is a bargain. And I would suggest not taking the water taxi in January as it's partially exposed to the elements.
Philadelphia: regional rail service. Every 30 minutes, 7 days a week, 4:25 am - 11:25 pm from Suburban Station; 5:07 am - 12:07 am from Terminal F. 22 to 27 minutes duration depending on terminal. $9 one way for cash fare.
As an out of towner, between Center City and the airport, hands down the fastest and easiest public transit to/from the airport I've been on in the US.
Yes! I was bummed it didn’t even get an honorable mention. 30 minute headway is maybe too much for his list, but it is so convenient from most of the terminals.
I think that they just reverted back to 30 mins not so long ago... They switched to 60 mins during COVID & didn't recover from it until maybe earlier this year, which is something that I really upset about & don't know where to complain to (the fact that even in 2024 a lot of services are still at greatly reduced service levels compared to pre-COVID, and no, not only SEPTA, Amtrak as well from my experience). But anyway I think that the 60 min headway on weekends would probably render it neither honorable nor dishonorable by the standards of this video
BTW, now I'm thinking that maybe having to use part of the NE corridor but not being actually on it is actually a limiting factor, rather than advantage for PHL regional rail service...
MARTA to the airport is one of the most surprising and delightful things about Atlanta. Except after 9 when only the gold line is running and headways are like 20 mins…
I hate flying into ATL on Air Canada. Every other airport in the US has Air Canada near United Airlines, but ATL puts Air Canada in a weird part of the international terminal that is setup for “domestic” arrivals, but baggage claim is on the international side meaning no easy access to MARTA.
As somebody that grew up on the Southside of Chicago. Midway is super integrated into the local network I've took the L, bus, and walked to/from that airport many of times in my life.
@stevengordon3271 it makes Intercity transfers easier. Istanbul airports are like that I'm unsure if any other US metropolitans have interconnected airports
Why do people keep saying this? There's trains all the way to JFK. Trains all the way to EWR. If you subway to LGA there is a suboptimal but free bus transfer to the airport.
@@mentonerodominicano Wow, that’s a lot. Did you do a lot of transit on the BART? Otherwise, in the future, MUNI has some really decent deals depending on your length of stay. You can get a 7-day, unlimited ride pass for 41 dollars. That includes the historical cable cars, street cars, Muni buses/trolly busses, and Muni Metro (light rail).
Went to Tokyo trought Haneda was really really convinient. We have trains and metros in my country, but in Japan they are so next level, i'm specially envious of the Shinkansen, such a wonderful way to travel.
But the trains out of haneda stop at 12!!! And flights come in around the same time. Haneda will hopefully be better once jR builds their direct line northbound from the airport
I love your humor, and the fact that you love "the Cities." Minneapolis/St Paul is severely underrated/unacknowledged by most. I moved away to Boston and Denver. Both great in their own way, but moved back home. The value here is far superior. Another entraining video, sir. Well done!
Crazy that Denver feels so special with their new rail line that goes from the airport to downtown. After millions of dollars of investment on incredibly nice rolling stock. And it doesn’t make this list. Probably because it’s still takes *37* minutes, despite everything. Denver is the capital of misguided rail infrastructure. Another thing about the A line is that while other airport trains serve various communities and just happen to end at the airport, this one doesn’t serve much of anything else. For example the Boston silver line has a dedicated tunnel through south Boston (serving the very busy seaport district) and then leaves the tunnel to go into the sumner tunnel to the airport, not to mention the blue line that serves primarily East Boston and revere (especially helpful for a transit accessible beach); both of Chicago’s airport lines go through dense neighborhoods; and NYC doesn’t even need a dedicated rail line except for the air train. Meanwhile Denver basically just created an airport shuttle that runs along a highway for its entirety. Meanwhile the rest of the residents that actually live in walkable areas, not right next to the highway, don’t get so much as a BRT. My Mom lives in Denver. So while I’m grateful that I get to take this train since it exists, it really would be better off as a shuttle bus. Seriously 95% of people who take this service (and didn’t drive to the station, because at that point they could realistically park at a park&fly lot) take it to Union station. Yes, it’s a nice service but it’s still misguided as is the rest of rail in Denver. A possibly comparable line would be something like the RER B line which does run express to CDG sometimes, but it is at least half full of people not going to the airport. Plus Paris is probably one of the least centralized cities in the world so people get on at all different stops. I would like to mention that a reasonable use case for this line would be for employees of the airport. However, MassPort (operator of Logan) for example runs a bunch of employee shuttles from various places. Denver could still do a similar thing. And I don’t think employees of one single institution and customers of such can realistically justify an entire train. Keep in mind Denver could solve all of this by routing trains through a dense area and only having a segment from NE Denver needed to be primarily for the airport.
I agree that Denver is the capital of misguided rail, but the A Line is easily the most well designed line on the network. If I was ranking airports I'd definitely put Denver higher than any airport that's only served by buses.
The 37 (not 50) minute trip is just because the Denver airport is halfway to Kansas. Based on the methodology, this list is as much about how close the airport is to downtown as the quality of the transit connection. It would have been more interesting to rate based on how transit time compares to driving time - Denver is one of the few where the train is often faster than driving.
I dunno about misguided: I've enjoyed taking public transit in Denver. It's just that Denver's airport is a long way from downtown. And the $10.50 gets you free transit in the city for the entire day across all trains and buses. Well worth it, IMO.
We visited Atlanta twice for the Peach Bowl in 2021 and 2022. Had great experiences both times taking the MARTA from the airport to the Peach Tree station downtown. And when we didn’t want to walk from our hotel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the streetcar serving the same stop to Olympic Park was very convenient. Great city!
Surprised you didn’t mention Toronto City Airport (Billy Bishop) … might be too small to make the cut, but as a car-free traveller it’s delightful to be able to walk, yes walk, from the airport to my destination downtown on King St W in only 20 minutes
Why no mention of Portland/PDX? I know you showed stock footage of the MAX while explaining that some cities don't quite meet the requirements, but honestly I've found PDX to be far better connected to downtown than a lot of your mentions, not to mention cheaper and with fewer transfers-- plus trains start on Sundays at ~5am
I'm surprised you didn't use a comparison of transit vs car travel time rather than the absolute travel time of transit, to normalize out airports that take up prime real estate close in to the cities.
Yep, Seatac got a bit of a bum rap in this video, but there's typically only a 15 minute or so gap in time between how long it takes the train versus driving. And, it is a much more consistent amount of time that drops you at a surprisingly easy walk to the actual terminal, complete with a shuttle for much of it if need be. Personally, I tend to like there being that extra chance to stretch my legs before waiting around and subsequently getting on a plane.
...would love a modified list that ignores time/distance to downtown and instead focuses on the relative time from the airport on transit vs car. DEN is an example of where train/car are almost even timewise, but there is an airport surcharge on the A line for the ~40min ride :(
Yes, Seatac suffered for that. It's $3 and an additional 15ish minutes to down town to take the train. And IIRC, it's something like $50+ tip to get a cab from the airport. So, if road traffic is good, you might spend an extra 15 minutes or so taking the train, but you save a fair amount of money and get the chance to see what's going on from a different view point. Plus, the traffic tends to be pretty bad, and the train itself is much more consistent in terms of how long it takes.
The Vancouver downtown to YVR trip is extra miraculous because the "solution" they came up with before 2010 was absolute garbage. When I think back to the infrequent microbus that would dump passengers on the side of a highway just outside the airport where you would stand in the rain with your luggage hoping for a bus heading downtown I'll happily pay the airport tax.
There was never a microbus went from the airport it was the 100 till October 2001 when it became the 100/424 to Yvr airport till late September 2009 when the Canada line was opened and the 100/424 was decommissioned and the 100 went to marpole loop
@@chanchan523 I think there was a bus from Ladner to YVR through Richmond (in my head it was the 435 I think?) which I would take sometimes to get back to Ladner through the airport if I knew there wasn't another bus coming. Also, I think it was the 100 that took you to Marpole and then you could take the 20 downtown. I remember having to get to North Burnaby once in the mid-90s when it was -15C out and I didn't have a winter coat with me because there was a freak cold snap and I just had gotten off the plane from PHX.
There are two ways to avoid the YVR AddFare. First, if you have a friend meeting you at the airport by transit, have them bring you a single-use ticket or day pass they purchased from any non-Sea-Island station. Alternatively, if you have a Compass Card and load a pass on it (day pass, monthly pass, etc) online, then you also will avoid the AddFare.
Having been to most of these places, I pretty much endorse your results. DCA is really everything you say more. My only light criticism is about O’Hare. Yeah it’s somewhat longer to downtown than you’d like, but the site of the airport just leaves so much more close-in space for actual Chicago. DCA does indeed take up some potentially much more valuable real estate, except I believe that’s mostly flood plain, and it is on the opposite side of the Potomac.
DC National's floodplain is tidal, so it's not really that crucial from a planning standpoint... it's not a lot of elevation that has to be covered. But on the other hand, the accessibility is poor in general because it's an island/peninsula, and a lot of it qualifies for environmental protections... there's a reason why very little was built there historically...
Stockholm Arlanda airport has to be the role model here for urban airports: the airport is super far out from the urbanized area, but connected to the city via high-speed rail, so it's only a 20-minute ride to get from the airport to Central station. Of course, it means you need good transit connections to get from downtown to wherever you're going, which is the problem most US cities have. Always happy to see Minneapolis on your list. Maybe someday Saint Paul will get a light rail airport connection... (and no, "modern streetcar" doesn't count).
I just took both the CDMX subway (with luggage, it was a nightmare) and the bus from/to the airport. It was actually slow, stressful, and challenging. I don’t at all think it deserves the number one spot.
I think a lot of these Airport Authorities rely on paid parking revenues so that they are actively opposed to rail transit to the airport. I suspect that is the deal that is made with agencies like BART for them to sign off on service to the airport. When I was working for the Airlines I flew non rev from CLT to SFO for the weekend and was shocked how much it cost to take BART from SFO to the Civic Center.
I use MARTA all the time to get to the Atlanta airport, and I can pay the senior fare, which is only $1! The only problem is that I have to drive 20 minutes from my home to the Dunwoody station where I get the train. MARTA has only 3 full-length rail lines when it should have about 10!
Marta expansion or any major transportation options in Atlanta will always be voted down. 30 years of personally watching every effort fail because all it takes is some yahoo yelling .. "But how will we pay for it?" You pay for it everyday by sitting in endess traffic that only gets worse and worse each passing year. Decade after decade.
That's the same situation for me. 10 minute drive from my place to catch MARTA in Decatur, but it beats sitting in horrible traffic on I-75/I-85 thru downtown. Shame the Clifton Corridor connecting Decatur and Buckhead was downgraded to useless BRT from rail. Even still, Atlanta beats out the largest cities like NYC and LA which have pathetic connections to their airports, and in ATL, we've got the most efficient airport.
DCA connected to the DC metro has been so convenient for me! They are currently proposing starting at 6am on weekends vs 7am. I guess the dilemma of being directly connected to the metro is that additional service hours are more expensive than another city that has a single bus line to a downtown.
DCA is amazing, can even take the train to Dulles International too (though it's 40 min from the core). Love DCA for that reason! Will concede the unique design means that weird transfer if you're going to "Terminal 1" via a bus shuttle or awkward 15 min walk with luggage.
The DART orange line to DFW from Downtown Dallas is painfully long due to a very winding route. It’s served by commuter rail from downtown Fort Worth and soon the DART silver line commuter service that will connect a lot of northern suburbs to the airport. It’s also technically served by TRE commuter rail that runs between Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth via a shuttle bus. Still not with the frequencies you identified for this list though. It’s crazy how much rail Dallas actually has but it still feels sparse because of how much it sprawls
TTC in Toronto runs a few night buses from downtown (or Kipling Station) to the airport. 700 bus and 300A bus. Which means that it's technically possible to take transit there all day, every day. A ride share would be significantly faster during the night though, as traffic is non existent.
Problems with UP Express: - service starts too late - the giant looping arc into YYZ which adds on an extra 6-7 minutes for no reason - 15 minute headways - no stop at Spadina - no direct connection to Line 2 at Bloor - it runs on diesel instead of being electric Otherwise a stellar service.
I also think it's worth noting that Pearson is pretty well integrated into transit regionally, since it's serviced by not just the TTC but by MiWay and GO as well. At my old apartment in Hamilton I could walk to the route 40 GO and get all the way to Pearson in one trip!
SLC had better be on here! We have direct light rail access at our new airport. (Our service will be expanding to 7-8 minute headways to downtown when the new Orange line comes in.) Service from 5:26 to 11:30 on the greenline and takes just 21 minutes to get to city center station. *Edit* thank you for the honorable mention! With the aforementioned orange line that should increase headways to 15 minutes on Sundays!
@julianjurkoic3574 I agree I work at the airport and Commute on the train. But I often get questions from passengers asking where TRAX is. People are looking for TRAX and the few signs that do exist all just say "City Train" or "Ground Transportation". Many people default to the busses because they're right there on the first curb out of the terminal but the train is a straight shot to downtown, and soon it's gonna have an MLB stadium halfway down, so they should definitely be advertising it better
The weirdest thing about Anchorage is that it's had a train station right next to the terminal since 2003. It's even connected by indoor walkway and closer than the parking lots! The catch is that it's only used for cruise ship charters because there's no scheduled services to use it.
I fly to Atlanta 10 times a year and take MARTA to and from the airport every time. It’s frequent and cheap. Works fine for me with a heavy backpack and a one mile walk on the back end. And the Beltline is awesome (yes I like walking) 👍🏽
O'Hare is 45 min, but considering a cab is an hour, and $30, the $5 fare just doesn't matter. Very easy to pay. San Diego bus is really good. Pronto works well.
Fun fact: these are also the top 10 cities for car free access to high speed rail! And by that I mean they're the best cities for flying to another country with actually competent public transportation.
Until you got to #2, I was assuming you were excluding urban airports, but then you had Midway. Given that, I'm surprised that Toronto's Billy Bishop international (YTZ) which is right downtown (walkable from Union Station) and also has a free shuttle every 10 minutes from Union to YTZ.
Glad Chicago made top 3 and managed an honorable mention. I am really hoping chicago focuses on transit in the next decade and we get an express blue line route to the loop (apparently MARTA is going to have a line as well that might be quicker soonish?)
5:56 - You are correct, that is 100% the Expo Line, just west of Main Street-Science World Station...but all of Vancouver's SkyTrains are fantastic. Thank you for using my fair city for your thumbnail. I was also just in Cleveland and yes, I never expected that city to have an airport rail connection! It gives one hope.
YYZ does have additional transit services. The GO Transit bus runs 24/7 although it appears to not connect to the downtown, it does by connecting to the subway at the 407 station, the subway becomes the limiting factor with the 5am M-S start times and a much later Sunday start time. The TTC also operates an airport bus service to downtown and parts of the TTC Blue line may assist in reaching the airport bus service also. In some ways the GO Bus connects Hamilton through Mississauga to the airport better than the UP Express. This same bus route also is the connection to the subway going east, as I don't travel east of these points by transit I'm not sure if the route now goes further east than Richmond Hill (just north of Toronto.)
I literally just got off the LaGuardia Link a few moments ago. Nothing like a packed F train to a packed Q70 bus to get to a busy airport. It's frustrating, but a part of my regular travel when visiting the city.
Surprised philly didn’t get a dishonorable mention for having a good dedicated regional rail line that serves the airport and almost direct to center city…. With 30 minute headways weekdays and 1 hour headways on weekends. And a maximum zone 4 fare
I've personally never ridden the train from Boston Logan into town. I usually take the Logan Express bus route which is run by MASSPORT. It's $3 from Back Bay to the airport and free in the reverse direction! That said, it only departs every half hour.
TEXRail to and from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport. Service begins at 4:13am in Fort Worth while the last train to DFW leaves at 10:43pm. 30 minute intervals until the evening, when it turns to hourly. $2 per person one way (53 minute travel time).
There is also a free bus connection to the TRE (except on Sundays) and the orange DART line to downtown Dallas departs from the same station as the texrail in the airport. I would guess it didn't make the list because the frequency is too low but the connections are solid.
TexRail is a PITA though if you’re not arriving in Terminal B. I’ve used it and appreciated the service but having to shuttle between terminals is a little annoying, especially if you have checked baggage. Fares are great but 30 minute headways and long travel time mean it wouldn’t come close to making this list unfortunately.
@@alangoodall8950 You would have to use the shuttle ONLY if you check bags, otherwise, you can take the tram from B. Not to mention if you have to check bags, you can check AA bags at B whether you depart from there or not, and would only need the shuttle upon return if not flying into B itself. To me, that's a small inconvenience for a $4 round trip by rail versus $14 a day remote parking which would require a second shuttle anyway. This has obviously worked best for me, but clearly, your mileage has varied!
@@fwtxbevo2226 yah, totally agree it’s worth it, and glad the region is attempting to add rail service, just relaying my experience landing at DFW. It’s really just a feature of DFW’s multi-terminal design that makes it a little clunky, especially when arriving with checked bags. I researched ahead of time so knew not to check a bag, rode the Sky Train to B, but still struggled to find the station as the signage was pretty poor. Again, glad the service exists and will use it again in the future for sure, just wish it was a tad more convenient.
I recently went to a convention in downtown ATL. Parking for the weekend was "discounted" to $150. I was able to get a flight for that price and took the Marta. Win for public transportation to me!
Silver line from Logan is free, they do all door boarding at the terminals and don't collect the fare, and the silver line terminates inside South Station for free Red line connection. Going to Logan you'd have to enter the system *somewhere* for 2.40 but again transfer inside South station from the red line is free. Fun fact, theres also technically ferry service to the airport but its part of much longer route that is listed as charging a $10 fare no matter where youre going and the frequency and span arent great.
The Silver Line was awesome when I was living in Boston. Terminal to South Station, and it makes stops in the Seaport District along the way if you're staying there or going to a convention.
One very small correction regarding the LIRR prices from Jamaica. Since the entire trip would take place within NYC, the ticket price is actually only $5 or $7 for peak times instead of $8 or $11
Denver International to downtown. Starts up at 3am and runs until 12:30am. Starts at a 45 minute interval but switches to 15 minutes for most of the day. Takes 27 minutes because DIA is so far out on the eastern plains of Colorado. Plenty of buses leaving to various parts of the metro area and the train and buses depart from a quick escalator ride from the terminal.
For locals in Vancouver: pre-buy a Compass Ticket from any vending machime outside the airport zone and use it after a returning flight to avoid the surcharge. There is no airport surcharge for headimg to the airport.
I think it’s important to note that the reason a lot of the train lines don’t actually go to the airport but to a people mover instead is because from around 1990 to 2020 the FAA banned airport funds from going to mass transit that didn’t primarily serve the airport itself
Don’t forget Panama. Can still be considered North America, we can debate that. I’m going in May. Tocumen International (PTY) has a metro connection to the centro (downtown) not sure of travel times or service times, but I do know there is a transfer (or two). The real cost is about USD $0.85 each way. This is the only Metro, and it’s split between elevated and underground, in Central America. I believe the uber or taxi fares from pty to centro are $25-30. Great value.
Not sure I like your travel time criteria because it, sort of as you mentioned, puts an advantage towards airports closer to downtown even if its counter productive. A better metric, especially if we're ranking these airports based off car free travel is how they compare with taking the car. Like this criteria puts the SanDiego airport connection above so many other cities that frankly deserve it a lot more. The other note is, it would be cool if you took a look at Billy Bishop Airport in Downtown Toronto. Has a free shuttle to Union Station running every 15m, as well as a streetcar stop a short walk in front of the tunnel (and a further walk gets you to a 24h streetcar). Probably won't win any awards based off what I wrote earlier, but probably deserves at least an honourable mention. I specifically bring it up because not only is it a low traffic airport, but I'd argue its actually really good if you're heading between Toronto and any North Eastern US city. Proximity to Union Station means you get access to the entire GO train network (+ GO is now fare integrated with TTC Streetcars/Subway), and porter flights can take you to Airports like Dulles, Newark, and important for this list - Logan and Midway. Only real problem is that Porter isn't the cheapest airline, and unfortunately Billy Bishop doesn't have US preclearance *yet* (although apparently its getting preclearance in 2025). Plus its too small for jets so if you're a weirdo who doesn't like propeller planes, perhaps you're better off going through the hell on earth known as Pearson.
Good point about comparing transit vs car time. I think that definitely is the metric to best. Any airport/city where it is cheaper and faster for a family of 4 to take transit than a taxi is a success in my book. Airport surcharges are fine for those traveling alone but they add up quickly with a family.
An excellent point. Travel times that are short mean that the airport is taking up valuable space within the city, rather than a sprawling airport and all of the hard surfaces that it requires. He even criticized the placement of the airport in San Diego. while at the same time giving it credit for the short travel times created by the terrible placement of the airport. Pick a side man do you like airports taking up valuable city space or are you willing to sit a few more minutes on a train to get to an airport well-placed away from the central city?
My fellow Bostonians have pointed out that in addition to the Blue Line and the Silver Line, there is ferry service to and from Logan. Wanted to add that there is also an express bus to and from Copley Square. So there are four imperfect public transit options for Logan
Near the end I really thought my beloved Salt Lake City would make the list, with how fast our $2.50 TRAX line to the airport gets you downtown and back, about 18 hours a day. 15 minute weekday and saturday frequency… but I guess that 30min Sunday frequency kills your chances on this list. I also feel like KSLC enjoys a “Goldilocks” distance from downtown, juuust right.
I've done a 5.5hr layover at Minneapolis and can definitely vouch for the good access! We had enough time to navigate around a few of the downtown districts by foot. Unfortunately it was a Sunday so a lot less stuff was open but it was still fun!
I know Pittsburgh is not on this list, but I think it deserves a dishonorable mention. During peak times, enough people can build up waiting that they can't fit into a single 28X.
I actually did a project improving San Diego's Transit System and added a line that could go from downtown to the airport in 6 minutes. However, because the airport connection is pretty good I did not rank that expansion super high. As a frequent flyer from SAN, I can say the Old Town Airport Shuttle is also really good!
For Logan if you're off peak (early morning on weekends especially) then the SL1 (which is free) is the better bet. One seat ride that without traffic really flies.
Living in St. Louis, the metrolink is super convenient to get to the airport, especially with super short TSA lines. But the 20 minute headways and the terrible start and end times has had me planning my flights around whether I need to spend more for a later flight or if its more worth it for rideshare for an earlier flight. I don't know how much more expensive it could be to make those available for one of the largest reasons people go out there outside of working hours
I feel like Dallas Love Field should be on here or at least an honorable mention. It’s $3 with no airport surcharge, takes 25 mins, and runs like every 15 mins and starts at like 4AM even on Sundays. I could see maybe if you limited to one seat, but then again, PHX and MIA are on here.
I will say that I spent a week in CDMX and took transit and was fairly disappointed - the subway was extremely crowded and even the BRT was crowded and unreliable
I don't exactly agree. Denver moved the airport out of the city, which is arguably a better land use idea. The A line is 37 min and runs every 15 min from 4:15 am. There are also a number of buses. If you are not going downtown, that is a tough one. Personally I use the A line about monthly. 5 min Lyft to Union station, 37 min on the train. But, most people do just drive/Lyft.
It definitely does matter, it's the most used rail line in the city. With some further TOD Development along the A, it could compete with DC's Silver Line or CTA's Blue Line in terms of ridership.
I wonder if Denver could offer express versions of the train, rather than stopping at 5 or 6 places along the way. Kind of like New York does with a lot of its north/south subway lines. That would make it a better deal without any infrastructure reengineering.
@powderdropzone No you're totally right, I just mean it doesn't matter for this list. I think it's a decent idea to have such a big airport outside the city.
Airports are tricky for public transit, as they don't really have enough draw for rapid transit, people have lots of baggage, and they THINK they have more baggage than fits on transit, and due to airport height limitations there's rarely any other travel demand in the area. And yet, it's essential.
I think airports have more features that lend themselves to good transit service than problems. They generally have fairly consistent all-day, two-way demand, which is lore economical to meet than peaky demand. Parking is often expensive and a pain the ass, making non driving modes more attractive. And although they tend to get in outer part of cities with less density, they offer more demand than anything else in similar parts of the city. The other option is rail lines that fade into nothing at the end.
IMHO, the best you're likely to be able to do is having a short shuttle line that takes you from the actual train station to the airport. Or, do like Seatac does and have the entire walkway be covered with a courtesy shuttle and the ability to bring one of those luggage carts all the way to the train platform. He really knocked the walk to between the airport and light rail, but it's really not that big of a deal. It's flat, and covered and there is a shuttle much of the day.
I love Mexico City, but I wouldn’t let go of my bag on Metrobus. The only time I have ever had my pocket picked was on Metrobus and they got items out of both my front pockets at the same time.
I think you underrate how shitty a transfer is when you're traveling with luggage. I can't imagine ever having Boston be on that list, when you need to take a bus just to get to your train. Also, while I do agree that bus transit is overhated in the airport connection space, I don't think it's fair to put any connection that relies on buses on this list. If I'm traveling by myself as a dude, yeah no issues catching a bus to get somewhere. If I'm somewhere with my family, if it's rush hour, if the route is used by non-airport travelers? Then buses and even subway trips quickly become very uncomfortable, and while some people don't view comfort as being important when discussing transit issues, I do think that you underrate it.
I don't think _any_ rail system is going to do great when you have two 50-pound checked bags, plus your carry-on and laptop. Or three kids to keep track of. But Boston isn't a college _town_ , it's a college _city_ . Lots of people for whom the Silver Line works well. The Blue Line really needs to stop about a quarter of a mile closer to the airport for it to be useful; I found my best bet was just to take the bus to South Station (which picked up a block from my house), then the Silver Line to the airport. Or take a cab from about midnight - 8 am.
@jorymil I think airport express trains are obviously the nicest in terms of experience (UPX in Toronto, Narita Express in Tokyo, etc.) but also can be rather pricey. I guess it's a bit of a subjective thing what's more important-price or comfort.
@@jorymilI take red line-silver line, but it’s pretty rough when there’s traffic in the Ted Williams - makes the travel time unpredictable which is not great for getting to the airport! I also find the unpredictable wait for the silver line unpleasant especially at night in winter
11:15 it’s actually only $5 now for a city pass ticket that lets you go between Jamaica and any of the Manhattan LIRR stations. But you’re right - at $13.50/person, the moment you have 2 or 3 people an Uber is going to be cheaper.
When I lived in Portland by Providence Park or Jeld-Wen Field or whatever it's called now, the train to the airport was great. When I moved to North Portland, it sucked, even though I was technically much closer to the airport. I guess there's something to be said about how all transit systems are designed such that they assume everyone is trying to get to the city center - which is mostly probably true, but how it might create a chicken-and-egg situation where economic development doesn't happen when you (for example) have a neighborhood that is only a few miles away from the airport but you can't get there on transit without traveling via Timbuktu.
I'm surprised no one has talked about dfw or love field. Those 2 airports are pretty great dfw is great for those without a car and want to travel international while love field is great for getting anywhere into dallas
I was shocked not to see PDX at the top. The Max light rail starts right out the door of the airport and gets you to downtown Portland in (haven't checked this) 15 or 20 minutes? It's amazing.
It's about 30 minutes to downtown to Pioneer Square. I get off off at the NE 60th and it is a around 17 minutes since they fixed the connection at Gateway to make it more efficient.
ATL needs to be dinked more. 75-80% of weekends they don't run their published Sunday schedule, instead running a "special" single tracking schedule with service every 20-24 min fom the airport, which sucks
Yes, I was waiting for that comment. Unless there's a special major event going on downtown on the weekend, the red line doesn't go to the airport. During the weekday during peak times they've actually increased frequency, every 6 minutes to the airport
It seems like larger airports in larger cities got penalized in most cases due to their distant locations. But if you want to take a trip to a city without having to rent a car, you would want to go to a city that has the bang for the buck if that makes since. So if you think the PATH train out of Newark Liberty is lackluster, think again. The fact of the matter that you can take a train from Newark to lower Manhattan is actually priceless. On the other hand I've had friends go out to LA and rideshare all over the place. I told them why would you do that. When I go to LA I just rent a car for $35/day. Its a no brainer. I remember when Bell Taxi ran Vegas. You could reserve one of their limos for the same price as taxi service. But most didn't know that.
Vegas was terrible. LAX is bad, but getting better. Copenhagen is amazing. DCA wins, and Dulles is better than it was even if the Silver line is slow. Edit: SFO is excellent, but I stan BART even if it is loud. Oakland (aka San Francisco now...) is also fine. Tampa was traaaaash. Logan is fine. NYC airports are a mixed bag. Rather figure out Newark than JFK. BWI can be good, but only during peak hours.
Great list, I guessed el DF ( oops, CDMX) would walk off with first prize. But I have a small pick: you didn't mention Boston's Boston's ferry connection to downtown. In the time it takes to shuttle to the Airport subway station, you can shuttle to the ferry dock (depending on your starting terminal it might be faster). Yeah, it's only once an hour. Yeah, it dumps you at the aquarium so unless your staying on or near the waterfront you have to transfer (the blue line from the airport is right there). But Street View the ferry terminal and seriously tell me that on a nice summer day -- or evening -- and you're traveling light, you would NOT want THAT VIEW arriving into a new city. And yes, you can stand outside on the boat. Plane Nerds can stand on the back and watch the action at Logan. Others will want to smell the sea air as downtown looms up before you. The thirsty and unimaginative will just sit inside and hit the bar. 🎉 Yeah, it's got a bar. No who wants to take the bus?
Any thoughts on Lambert Field in Saint Louis? I'm not surprised it didn't make the list on this one. The headways are 20 minutes to downtown, and about a half hour trip one way on Metro Link. Also, they have an additional charge from Lambert Field as well. A one way trip on Metro Link is normally $2.50, but from Lambert Field is a $4 fare. However, it runs 20 hours a day 7 days a week.
I was surprised it didn’t even get any mention at all- solid light rail line connecting straight to downtown. It will be interesting with the new Metrolink expansion the Red line will terminate at an airport at both ends.
As someone who’s flown somewhat recently from Boston to San Diego, the 992 is such a great option, even by the standards of more transit-oriented cities. I think it’s underappreciated how *easy* it actually is to make a frequent, useful bus service in cities that, ironically, have overbuilt road infrastructure and car-centrism. It’s purely a matter of will rather than resources: the roads are already there, the stops are cheap, *all* these places need to do is run more buses more often. It’s low effort and high reward. A dedicated rail connection would be better, but buses can do great things with just a little bit of effort.
I’d love to see an American or Canadian airport build a massive transportation hub for local, regional and national transit. Sort of like Amsterdam Schiphol or Frankfurt Airport
Toronto will be the closest one, with currently the airport ink Union-Pearson express, future Line 5 & 6 LRT lines meeting at the airport, and possibly a GO & Via Rail terminal underground who knows. Montreal could so too if they do an extension of the REM at YUL to Dorval Station and connect to the Exo Bus Terminal, Exo and Via Rail Train platforms. Don’t forget Brussels-Zaventem, they have an underground train station at the airport connecting to mainline regional and intercity services. Even a train to Schipol! future plans have it be connected with tram and metro than just the airport bus routes of STIB/MIVB, De Lijn, and TEC.
I think the mistake you've made with this is looking at it from the perspective of a passenger. I'd be interested in a ranking of airports from the perspective of someone who works at the airport at weird hours, such as a baggage handler. If the airport offers free parking for these workers but makes transit really expensive, nearly all of these workers will drive if they have any choice in the matter.
San Diego!! Smoothest bike assembly to on the road of all my "bike in a box" air travels to a big city. Dublin was easy but I was heading north to newgrange vs to Dublin
For Boston Logan, I will say that, if you need to get there earlier, there are a few buses that take an alternate route between 4 AM and 5 AM that takes them to the airport. I was able to get to the airport by 4:45 on one of those buses
Besides the Silver and Blue Lines, BOS is also served by the very convenient Logan Express busses which had lines going to Back Bay as well as to the suburbs/outlaying cities. Most of those are outside the scope of this video, but they’re great and mean you don’t need to drive through the city.
I love the OAK BART connection, mostly just because it’s cute. It’s not cheap or fast, but it is convenient since there’s only two terminals, and it’s right between both of their exits/entrances
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I hate when the shuttle bus service to the parking lot or rental car centre is better than the actual bus service between the airport and city itself.
Womp womp
@@yaush_why are you even watching this channel lmfao
Literally when we were in Vegas, that was one of those damn things ready to take people to the rental car spots, literally all the time. As soon as one left and another one replaced it.
@@yobb1n544 what I really want to address is that it could not matter less how frequently a parking lot shuttle runs relative to how often the local bus system runs. By your analysis if the parking lot shuttle never runs and the local bus runs every hour then the bus system is better than the parking lot shuttle. But here’s the thing buddy, most airports don’t have parking lot shuttles. Most airports (especially car dependent ones) just have the parking garage directly attached to the airport itself. So you’re telling me that McKarren has better public transit than Logan. What really drives me against the wall is that often times a parking lot shuttle is correlated with a better airport location or connection because the rental car service is not premier way that people are getting to the airport. Plus I simply cannot handle people whining on the internet. I watch these videos because I find them interesting I do not need to hear randos complain online.
This difference may actually be on purpose. It is in Columbus, Ohio. Our airport makes more money from parking receipts than it does from the airlines that operate there. Reasonable transit options would screw that up.
Just a note that you can avoid the O'Hare surcharge by just buying a CTA day pass. The price is exactly the same as the fare from O'Hare, and if you take the bus or train even one additional time in the next 24 hours, you've saved the entire surcharge.
Also, the length of the ride itself might seem bad on paper, but when you factor in that a rideshare will probably take about as long during peak arrival times (maybe faster depending on how bad traffic conditions are), it kinda becomes a no brainer to take the train instead. Also also, 10 min headway vs sitting around waiting for an uber to show up.
ORD is just really far from downtown, it's a long trip no matter what unless you're touching down late at night. Easy top 3 imo.
@@ObeIiskos Yea i think it would've been fairer if he had done length/mile or per stops. Can't really do much with ~45 min-1hr trips when O'Hare is so far away from Downtown which it should be.
Sounds like a visitor tax? The locals will know this and not pay the surcharge, but visitors won't and will get ripped off.
Gatwick Airport does the same. Gatwick Express costs £23 if you buy a paper ticket, Southern Railway, which takes 3 minutes longer is £18.40 peak/£10.10 off peak.
@@katrinabryce most locals know the way to save money! from O’Hare you can take the metro a couple stops and get off then order an Uber (take bus) for less. Also you pay regular fare to O’Hare on the Metro.. You only pay $5 if you’re exiting the airport.
@@katrinabryceevery service in greater Toronto charges more for cash fares and paper tickets than for using Presto stored value. With the new addition of Presto to Apple Wallet you can even get a Presto card on your phone for zero dollars.
Fun fact: Cleveland was the first city in the country to connect their airport with downtown by rail. Very underrated city when it comes to transit!
There's so much cool shit in Ohio, as much as my PA born self hates to admit it
The offshoring of manufacturing killed this country...
Cleveland’s Airport station opened in 1968; Boston’s Airport station opened in 1952
@@subjekt5577 As someone whose family is from Pittsburgh but grew up near Cleveland, I have a lot of love for both cities. We’re lucky that they grew and developed pre-WWII. Lots of great legacy institutions and infrastructure to lean on moving forward.
@@angusb99Boston’s “airport” station is a joke internationally
Not sure why my response keeps getting deleted, but everything I’ve found online points to Cleveland being first to have direct service from its airport to its downtown. I’m not familiar with Boston’s airport, though; it might be due to a technicality.
Really going to need a Chicago city visit vid from you, Ray. Someone get this guy a speaking gig!
Chicago is too cool to care
In Germany, some airport rain stations are so busy with traffic, that they are actually major rail hubs in their own right and used for making interchanges (best example of this is Frankfurt)
Even cooler is when I booked a ticket on Lufthansa from the US to some minor city in Germany, I discovered that the last leg, with LH number and boarding pass issued at an overseas airport, was a… train. It went like clockwork.
I once took the ubahn from the hauptbahnhof in Munich to the airport and it took about 30 minutes
@@corriemayo2715 Munich once planned Transrapid for this, but as it's Bavaria, BMW probably vetoed… :)
@corriemayo2715 the Munich airport is like 100km outside the City. The U-Bahn doesn't go there. What you took was probably the S-Bahn. And yes, I bet it took forever, but so would have driving, because the airport is infamous for being extremely far away from the city
Yup, the time maths of train/bus+check in+flight+train/bus Vs direct train/bus between EU city centres is basically the only maths to think about when travelling in Europe.
Bold move giving San Diego a mention.
Honestly, the nicest thing about it is you can walk from the Airport to downtown in not very long at all.
I just came back from SD and I walked from the airport to my hotel in Little Italy neighborhood and then back to the airport a few days later. It was about an hour's walk each way, but very pleasant. There's a lot of construction going on at the airport, so I may have taken a longer (less direct) route because of that.
Best flight to Bicycle airport I've ever been to.
The 992 is absolutely clutch. I'd love to start biking there next
The 992 gets stuck in airport traffic so it's rarely on time in my experience. It's a shame it doesn't get it's own lanes. We also have a free shuttle to Old Town transit center to catch many buses and regional rail. San Diego is currently studying a rail connection to downtown, and our new terminal 1 under construction is supposedly designed with space for future rail connection.
Is it a nice walk? Like seeing stuff and feeling safe along the way?
Another great option for BOS is the water taxi. You take a shuttle from the terminal directly to the dock and in 5-8 minutes you are in downtown BOS -- you can choose which downtown dock you want to be dropped off at. It doesn't run very early or very late, so it wouldn't meet your criteria on that point, but other than that it is so wonderful.
$20 one way though. Better than Uber but not really comparable to the Blue line or Silver line by cost.
I enjoyed the Water Taxi to North Station when I used to live north of the city: super-direct and a lot of fun. But yeah... compared to the free Silver Line or the $2.50 subway lines, it's not as economical. Of course, if you're spending $300 on a flight, $20 for a water taxi is a bargain. And I would suggest not taking the water taxi in January as it's partially exposed to the elements.
Oh man I didn't even know about this!
Philadelphia: regional rail service. Every 30 minutes, 7 days a week, 4:25 am - 11:25 pm from Suburban Station; 5:07 am - 12:07 am from Terminal F. 22 to 27 minutes duration depending on terminal. $9 one way for cash fare.
As an out of towner, between Center City and the airport, hands down the fastest and easiest public transit to/from the airport I've been on in the US.
Yes! I was bummed it didn’t even get an honorable mention. 30 minute headway is maybe too much for his list, but it is so convenient from most of the terminals.
Not just that, Service to 30th Street with connecting Regional Rail Service to All parts of SEPTA and Amtrak Service to BOS/WAS
I think that they just reverted back to 30 mins not so long ago... They switched to 60 mins during COVID & didn't recover from it until maybe earlier this year, which is something that I really upset about & don't know where to complain to (the fact that even in 2024 a lot of services are still at greatly reduced service levels compared to pre-COVID, and no, not only SEPTA, Amtrak as well from my experience). But anyway I think that the 60 min headway on weekends would probably render it neither honorable nor dishonorable by the standards of this video
BTW, now I'm thinking that maybe having to use part of the NE corridor but not being actually on it is actually a limiting factor, rather than advantage for PHL regional rail service...
MARTA to the airport is one of the most surprising and delightful things about Atlanta. Except after 9 when only the gold line is running and headways are like 20 mins…
Yeah & sometimes on some weekends/holidays too...
I hate flying into ATL on Air Canada. Every other airport in the US has Air Canada near United Airlines, but ATL puts Air Canada in a weird part of the international terminal that is setup for “domestic” arrivals, but baggage claim is on the international side meaning no easy access to MARTA.
It's amazing...as long as your destination is accessible to the MARTA rail network!
As somebody that grew up on the Southside of Chicago. Midway is super integrated into the local network I've took the L, bus, and walked to/from that airport many of times in my life.
I like that you can take the CTA between Midway and O'Hare.
@stevengordon3271 it makes Intercity transfers easier. Istanbul airports are like that I'm unsure if any other US metropolitans have interconnected airports
@@PT88 You can take BART from SFO to OAK. Someday, at least close to SJC too.
I’ve biked to Midway. There are no shoulders on the ramps leading up to departures but it’s doable.
@@texicaliblues SFO and OAK are physically pretty close to each, directly across the bay. A water taxi could connect them to.
Chicago. As a New Yorker I'm ashamed that we don't have a direct train line to the airport
Why do people keep saying this? There's trains all the way to JFK. Trains all the way to EWR. If you subway to LGA there is a suboptimal but free bus transfer to the airport.
There should be a N W extension to LGA
That bus from LGA to the subway stops a lot! They could at least run some express busses!!
You can thank Robert Moses for that
@yungrichnbroke5199 exactly! He ain't from NYC clearly.
SFO is great and BART is good because it drops you off right in the international terminal BUT my god yes $10.55 is crazy
I’m surprised Oakland did make the list, also it needs to be pointed out how bad the sfo Caltrain transfer is
I recently traveled to the Bay area for a week and I think I spent almost $100 on the Clipper card.
@@mentonerodominicano Wow, that’s a lot. Did you do a lot of transit on the BART? Otherwise, in the future, MUNI has some really decent deals depending on your length of stay. You can get a 7-day, unlimited ride pass for 41 dollars. That includes the historical cable cars, street cars, Muni buses/trolly busses, and Muni Metro (light rail).
I'm in the South Bay and a round trip to SF on BART runs me $26 💀
@@y0d499 I did use the BART a fair amount, but I was staying in Berkeley, so I was using those buses a lot too.
Went to Tokyo trought Haneda was really really convinient.
We have trains and metros in my country, but in Japan they are so next level, i'm specially envious of the Shinkansen, such a wonderful way to travel.
But the trains out of haneda stop at 12!!! And flights come in around the same time. Haneda will hopefully be better once jR builds their direct line northbound from the airport
I love your humor, and the fact that you love "the Cities." Minneapolis/St Paul is severely underrated/unacknowledged by most. I moved away to Boston and Denver. Both great in their own way, but moved back home. The value here is far superior. Another entraining video, sir. Well done!
Home of Quality Bicycle Products, too! Great place for cyclists.
Crazy that Denver feels so special with their new rail line that goes from the airport to downtown. After millions of dollars of investment on incredibly nice rolling stock. And it doesn’t make this list. Probably because it’s still takes *37* minutes, despite everything. Denver is the capital of misguided rail infrastructure.
Another thing about the A line is that while other airport trains serve various communities and just happen to end at the airport, this one doesn’t serve much of anything else. For example the Boston silver line has a dedicated tunnel through south Boston (serving the very busy seaport district) and then leaves the tunnel to go into the sumner tunnel to the airport, not to mention the blue line that serves primarily East Boston and revere (especially helpful for a transit accessible beach); both of Chicago’s airport lines go through dense neighborhoods; and NYC doesn’t even need a dedicated rail line except for the air train. Meanwhile Denver basically just created an airport shuttle that runs along a highway for its entirety. Meanwhile the rest of the residents that actually live in walkable areas, not right next to the highway, don’t get so much as a BRT.
My Mom lives in Denver. So while I’m grateful that I get to take this train since it exists, it really would be better off as a shuttle bus. Seriously 95% of people who take this service (and didn’t drive to the station, because at that point they could realistically park at a park&fly lot) take it to Union station. Yes, it’s a nice service but it’s still misguided as is the rest of rail in Denver. A possibly comparable line would be something like the RER B line which does run express to CDG sometimes, but it is at least half full of people not going to the airport. Plus Paris is probably one of the least centralized cities in the world so people get on at all different stops.
I would like to mention that a reasonable use case for this line would be for employees of the airport. However, MassPort (operator of Logan) for example runs a bunch of employee shuttles from various places. Denver could still do a similar thing. And I don’t think employees of one single institution and customers of such can realistically justify an entire train. Keep in mind Denver could solve all of this by routing trains through a dense area and only having a segment from NE Denver needed to be primarily for the airport.
also doesnt help it costs a wopping $10.50
The A line is really the only useful rail line in Denver. 37 min btw and super reliable ime. All the rest are commuter lines to nowhere.
I agree that Denver is the capital of misguided rail, but the A Line is easily the most well designed line on the network. If I was ranking airports I'd definitely put Denver higher than any airport that's only served by buses.
The 37 (not 50) minute trip is just because the Denver airport is halfway to Kansas. Based on the methodology, this list is as much about how close the airport is to downtown as the quality of the transit connection. It would have been more interesting to rate based on how transit time compares to driving time - Denver is one of the few where the train is often faster than driving.
I dunno about misguided: I've enjoyed taking public transit in Denver. It's just that Denver's airport is a long way from downtown. And the $10.50 gets you free transit in the city for the entire day across all trains and buses. Well worth it, IMO.
We visited Atlanta twice for the Peach Bowl in 2021 and 2022. Had great experiences both times taking the MARTA from the airport to the Peach Tree station downtown. And when we didn’t want to walk from our hotel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the streetcar serving the same stop to Olympic Park was very convenient. Great city!
Surprised you didn’t mention Toronto City Airport (Billy Bishop) … might be too small to make the cut, but as a car-free traveller it’s delightful to be able to walk, yes walk, from the airport to my destination downtown on King St W in only 20 minutes
How busy is Billy Bishop compared to Pearson?
@@grahamturner2640Pearson has over 1000 flights per day. Bishop about 120
It also has a free bus to union!
@@grahamturner2640it’s a small airport
Why no mention of Portland/PDX? I know you showed stock footage of the MAX while explaining that some cities don't quite meet the requirements, but honestly I've found PDX to be far better connected to downtown than a lot of your mentions, not to mention cheaper and with fewer transfers-- plus trains start on Sundays at ~5am
Guessing something to do with PDX being generally over-represented on the channel? I was also surprised to not see it here.
I guess he doesn't consider it a "major" airport. 😅 It's international but maybe didn't hit some minimum threshold elsewhere?
Yep, PDX falls in the medium category.
I'm surprised you didn't use a comparison of transit vs car travel time rather than the absolute travel time of transit, to normalize out airports that take up prime real estate close in to the cities.
Yep, Seatac got a bit of a bum rap in this video, but there's typically only a 15 minute or so gap in time between how long it takes the train versus driving. And, it is a much more consistent amount of time that drops you at a surprisingly easy walk to the actual terminal, complete with a shuttle for much of it if need be. Personally, I tend to like there being that extra chance to stretch my legs before waiting around and subsequently getting on a plane.
I love the lengths to which you went to call DCA anything but R****n. Strong work--we do that here in DC too!
Between Reagan and Dulles, DC has the most cursed airport names in the country
If you take the train you miss the cool statue of Ronnie on your way into the terminal that you see when you drive in.
Yep, tribalism will win back the executive in 2028😂
Yep that airport is National, nothing else.
...would love a modified list that ignores time/distance to downtown and instead focuses on the relative time from the airport on transit vs car. DEN is an example of where train/car are almost even timewise, but there is an airport surcharge on the A line for the ~40min ride :(
Yes, Seatac suffered for that. It's $3 and an additional 15ish minutes to down town to take the train. And IIRC, it's something like $50+ tip to get a cab from the airport. So, if road traffic is good, you might spend an extra 15 minutes or so taking the train, but you save a fair amount of money and get the chance to see what's going on from a different view point.
Plus, the traffic tends to be pretty bad, and the train itself is much more consistent in terms of how long it takes.
The Vancouver downtown to YVR trip is extra miraculous because the "solution" they came up with before 2010 was absolute garbage. When I think back to the infrequent microbus that would dump passengers on the side of a highway just outside the airport where you would stand in the rain with your luggage hoping for a bus heading downtown I'll happily pay the airport tax.
There was never a microbus went from the airport it was the 100 till October 2001 when it became the 100/424 to Yvr airport till late September 2009 when the Canada line was opened and the 100/424 was decommissioned and the 100 went to marpole loop
@@chanchan523 I think there was a bus from Ladner to YVR through Richmond (in my head it was the 435 I think?) which I would take sometimes to get back to Ladner through the airport if I knew there wasn't another bus coming. Also, I think it was the 100 that took you to Marpole and then you could take the 20 downtown. I remember having to get to North Burnaby once in the mid-90s when it was -15C out and I didn't have a winter coat with me because there was a freak cold snap and I just had gotten off the plane from PHX.
There are two ways to avoid the YVR AddFare. First, if you have a friend meeting you at the airport by transit, have them bring you a single-use ticket or day pass they purchased from any non-Sea-Island station. Alternatively, if you have a Compass Card and load a pass on it (day pass, monthly pass, etc) online, then you also will avoid the AddFare.
Having been to most of these places, I pretty much endorse your results. DCA is really everything you say more.
My only light criticism is about O’Hare. Yeah it’s somewhat longer to downtown than you’d like, but the site of the airport just leaves so much more close-in space for actual Chicago. DCA does indeed take up some potentially much more valuable real estate, except I believe that’s mostly flood plain, and it is on the opposite side of the Potomac.
DC National's floodplain is tidal, so it's not really that crucial from a planning standpoint... it's not a lot of elevation that has to be covered. But on the other hand, the accessibility is poor in general because it's an island/peninsula, and a lot of it qualifies for environmental protections... there's a reason why very little was built there historically...
MDW is pretty darned nice, too.
Stockholm Arlanda airport has to be the role model here for urban airports: the airport is super far out from the urbanized area, but connected to the city via high-speed rail, so it's only a 20-minute ride to get from the airport to Central station. Of course, it means you need good transit connections to get from downtown to wherever you're going, which is the problem most US cities have.
Always happy to see Minneapolis on your list. Maybe someday Saint Paul will get a light rail airport connection... (and no, "modern streetcar" doesn't count).
I just took both the CDMX subway (with luggage, it was a nightmare) and the bus from/to the airport. It was actually slow, stressful, and challenging. I don’t at all think it deserves the number one spot.
Did they take card/tap?
Totally agreed. I'm guessing you took it to the bubble neighborhoods too? (Roma, Condesa) which are pretty far from the airport
I think a lot of these Airport Authorities rely on paid parking revenues so that they are actively opposed to rail transit to the airport. I suspect that is the deal that is made with agencies like BART for them to sign off on service to the airport. When I was working for the Airlines I flew non rev from CLT to SFO for the weekend and was shocked how much it cost to take BART from SFO to the Civic Center.
I use MARTA all the time to get to the Atlanta airport, and I can pay the senior fare, which is only $1! The only problem is that I have to drive 20 minutes from my home to the Dunwoody station where I get the train. MARTA has only 3 full-length rail lines when it should have about 10!
Marta expansion or any major transportation options in Atlanta will always be voted down. 30 years of personally watching every effort fail because all it takes is some yahoo yelling .. "But how will we pay for it?" You pay for it everyday by sitting in endess traffic that only gets worse and worse each passing year. Decade after decade.
That's the same situation for me. 10 minute drive from my place to catch MARTA in Decatur, but it beats sitting in horrible traffic on I-75/I-85 thru downtown. Shame the Clifton Corridor connecting Decatur and Buckhead was downgraded to useless BRT from rail. Even still, Atlanta beats out the largest cities like NYC and LA which have pathetic connections to their airports, and in ATL, we've got the most efficient airport.
DCA connected to the DC metro has been so convenient for me! They are currently proposing starting at 6am on weekends vs 7am. I guess the dilemma of being directly connected to the metro is that additional service hours are more expensive than another city that has a single bus line to a downtown.
Metro is still hurting because most Federales only come in 2 days every 2 wks
DCA is amazing, can even take the train to Dulles International too (though it's 40 min from the core). Love DCA for that reason! Will concede the unique design means that weird transfer if you're going to "Terminal 1" via a bus shuttle or awkward 15 min walk with luggage.
@@SamIAm254 Plus BWI can be done via MARC or Amtrak.
DCA is such a lovely transit experience. It'd almost be worth moving to DC just for that!
The DART orange line to DFW from Downtown Dallas is painfully long due to a very winding route. It’s served by commuter rail from downtown Fort Worth and soon the DART silver line commuter service that will connect a lot of northern suburbs to the airport. It’s also technically served by TRE commuter rail that runs between Downtown Dallas and Fort Worth via a shuttle bus. Still not with the frequencies you identified for this list though.
It’s crazy how much rail Dallas actually has but it still feels sparse because of how much it sprawls
TTC in Toronto runs a few night buses from downtown (or Kipling Station) to the airport. 700 bus and 300A bus. Which means that it's technically possible to take transit there all day, every day. A ride share would be significantly faster during the night though, as traffic is non existent.
And the UP Express.
@@AG-un7dz My last few flights have landed just after the last UP train has left for the night :(
Problems with UP Express:
- service starts too late
- the giant looping arc into YYZ which adds on an extra 6-7 minutes for no reason
- 15 minute headways
- no stop at Spadina
- no direct connection to Line 2 at Bloor
- it runs on diesel instead of being electric
Otherwise a stellar service.
I also think it's worth noting that Pearson is pretty well integrated into transit regionally, since it's serviced by not just the TTC but by MiWay and GO as well. At my old apartment in Hamilton I could walk to the route 40 GO and get all the way to Pearson in one trip!
SLC had better be on here! We have direct light rail access at our new airport. (Our service will be expanding to 7-8 minute headways to downtown when the new Orange line comes in.) Service from 5:26 to 11:30 on the greenline and takes just 21 minutes to get to city center station. *Edit* thank you for the honorable mention! With the aforementioned orange line that should increase headways to 15 minutes on Sundays!
👏👏👏 biggest issue with the green line connection to SLC is a lack of signage in the terminal, the airport should be advertising it!
@julianjurkoic3574 I agree I work at the airport and Commute on the train. But I often get questions from passengers asking where TRAX is. People are looking for TRAX and the few signs that do exist all just say "City Train" or "Ground Transportation". Many people default to the busses because they're right there on the first curb out of the terminal but the train is a straight shot to downtown, and soon it's gonna have an MLB stadium halfway down, so they should definitely be advertising it better
@ it’s very sus that it’s almost hidden… almost like the car rental lobbied for it to be that way 🤔
Just visited SLC and was very happy with the light rail system!
The weirdest thing about Anchorage is that it's had a train station right next to the terminal since 2003. It's even connected by indoor walkway and closer than the parking lots! The catch is that it's only used for cruise ship charters because there's no scheduled services to use it.
I fly to Atlanta 10 times a year and take MARTA to and from the airport every time. It’s frequent and cheap. Works fine for me with a heavy backpack and a one mile walk on the back end. And the Beltline is awesome (yes I like walking) 👍🏽
O'Hare is 45 min, but considering a cab is an hour, and $30, the $5 fare just doesn't matter. Very easy to pay.
San Diego bus is really good. Pronto works well.
Fun fact: these are also the top 10 cities for car free access to high speed rail! And by that I mean they're the best cities for flying to another country with actually competent public transportation.
Until you got to #2, I was assuming you were excluding urban airports, but then you had Midway. Given that, I'm surprised that Toronto's Billy Bishop international (YTZ) which is right downtown (walkable from Union Station) and also has a free shuttle every 10 minutes from Union to YTZ.
Probably didn’t meet the enplanements threshold
Glad Chicago made top 3 and managed an honorable mention. I am really hoping chicago focuses on transit in the next decade and we get an express blue line route to the loop (apparently MARTA is going to have a line as well that might be quicker soonish?)
5:56 - You are correct, that is 100% the Expo Line, just west of Main Street-Science World Station...but all of Vancouver's SkyTrains are fantastic. Thank you for using my fair city for your thumbnail.
I was also just in Cleveland and yes, I never expected that city to have an airport rail connection! It gives one hope.
YYZ does have additional transit services.
The GO Transit bus runs 24/7 although it appears to not connect to the downtown, it does by connecting to the subway at the 407 station, the subway becomes the limiting factor with the 5am M-S start times and a much later Sunday start time. The TTC also operates an airport bus service to downtown and parts of the TTC Blue line may assist in reaching the airport bus service also.
In some ways the GO Bus connects Hamilton through Mississauga to the airport better than the UP Express. This same bus route also is the connection to the subway going east, as I don't travel east of these points by transit I'm not sure if the route now goes further east than Richmond Hill (just north of Toronto.)
I literally just got off the LaGuardia Link a few moments ago. Nothing like a packed F train to a packed Q70 bus to get to a busy airport. It's frustrating, but a part of my regular travel when visiting the city.
Surprised philly didn’t get a dishonorable mention for having a good dedicated regional rail line that serves the airport and almost direct to center city…. With 30 minute headways weekdays and 1 hour headways on weekends. And a maximum zone 4 fare
I've personally never ridden the train from Boston Logan into town. I usually take the Logan Express bus route which is run by MASSPORT. It's $3 from Back Bay to the airport and free in the reverse direction! That said, it only departs every half hour.
Is it bad that as soon as I saw the title, I was looking forward to seeing LAX in the dishonorable mentions?
TEXRail to and from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport. Service begins at 4:13am in Fort Worth while the last train to DFW leaves at 10:43pm. 30 minute intervals until the evening, when it turns to hourly. $2 per person one way (53 minute travel time).
There is also a free bus connection to the TRE (except on Sundays) and the orange DART line to downtown Dallas departs from the same station as the texrail in the airport.
I would guess it didn't make the list because the frequency is too low but the connections are solid.
@@russianbear0027 Orange DART arrives/departs from Terminal A, while TEXRail arrives/departs out of Terminal B.
TexRail is a PITA though if you’re not arriving in Terminal B. I’ve used it and appreciated the service but having to shuttle between terminals is a little annoying, especially if you have checked baggage. Fares are great but 30 minute headways and long travel time mean it wouldn’t come close to making this list unfortunately.
@@alangoodall8950 You would have to use the shuttle ONLY if you check bags, otherwise, you can take the tram from B. Not to mention if you have to check bags, you can check AA bags at B whether you depart from there or not, and would only need the shuttle upon return if not flying into B itself. To me, that's a small inconvenience for a $4 round trip by rail versus $14 a day remote parking which would require a second shuttle anyway. This has obviously worked best for me, but clearly, your mileage has varied!
@@fwtxbevo2226 yah, totally agree it’s worth it, and glad the region is attempting to add rail service, just relaying my experience landing at DFW. It’s really just a feature of DFW’s multi-terminal design that makes it a little clunky, especially when arriving with checked bags. I researched ahead of time so knew not to check a bag, rode the Sky Train to B, but still struggled to find the station as the signage was pretty poor. Again, glad the service exists and will use it again in the future for sure, just wish it was a tad more convenient.
Zürich Airport is so well connected that it is a transit hub by it self.
Most of the traffic is not even generated by the airport.
Zurich's airport is amazing. Amsterdam is another airport that's a transit hub as well. Both should be models for the rest of the world
@@seank176 For this you need a public transportation system like Switzerland the Nederlands from the start and then connect
the airport with it.
I recently went to a convention in downtown ATL. Parking for the weekend was "discounted" to $150. I was able to get a flight for that price and took the Marta. Win for public transportation to me!
Silver line from Logan is free, they do all door boarding at the terminals and don't collect the fare, and the silver line terminates inside South Station for free Red line connection. Going to Logan you'd have to enter the system *somewhere* for 2.40 but again transfer inside South station from the red line is free. Fun fact, theres also technically ferry service to the airport but its part of much longer route that is listed as charging a $10 fare no matter where youre going and the frequency and span arent great.
The Silver Line was awesome when I was living in Boston. Terminal to South Station, and it makes stops in the Seaport District along the way if you're staying there or going to a convention.
O'hare. Once I realized I could take the train, I never once considered driving again.
One very small correction regarding the LIRR prices from Jamaica. Since the entire trip would take place within NYC, the ticket price is actually only $5 or $7 for peak times instead of $8 or $11
Yes, it's called City Ticket.
Denver International to downtown. Starts up at 3am and runs until 12:30am. Starts at a 45 minute interval but switches to 15 minutes for most of the day. Takes 27 minutes because DIA is so far out on the eastern plains of Colorado. Plenty of buses leaving to various parts of the metro area and the train and buses depart from a quick escalator ride from the terminal.
twenty seven minutes?! oh hell no its not.
@@ambertheateryeah 37 min. I assume it was a typo by the OP.
It would take 27 minutes if they made it grade separated when it was first built!
Baltimore has two different train routes serving its airport: the light rail and the Amtrak line (which connects via a short shuttle bus).
inb4 the REM opens linking downtown Montréal to Pierre-Elliot Trudeau airport making it all the way into the list due to the short distance alone.
For locals in Vancouver: pre-buy a Compass Ticket from any vending machime outside the airport zone and use it after a returning flight to avoid the surcharge. There is no airport surcharge for headimg to the airport.
I think it’s important to note that the reason a lot of the train lines don’t actually go to the airport but to a people mover instead is because from around 1990 to 2020 the FAA banned airport funds from going to mass transit that didn’t primarily serve the airport itself
As a woman I hesitate to take public transportation in dark early hours when I’m carrying luggage.
Don’t forget Panama. Can still be considered North America, we can debate that. I’m going in May. Tocumen International (PTY) has a metro connection to the centro (downtown) not sure of travel times or service times, but I do know there is a transfer (or two). The real cost is about USD $0.85 each way. This is the only Metro, and it’s split between elevated and underground, in Central America. I believe the uber or taxi fares from pty to centro are $25-30. Great value.
Not sure I like your travel time criteria because it, sort of as you mentioned, puts an advantage towards airports closer to downtown even if its counter productive. A better metric, especially if we're ranking these airports based off car free travel is how they compare with taking the car. Like this criteria puts the SanDiego airport connection above so many other cities that frankly deserve it a lot more.
The other note is, it would be cool if you took a look at Billy Bishop Airport in Downtown Toronto. Has a free shuttle to Union Station running every 15m, as well as a streetcar stop a short walk in front of the tunnel (and a further walk gets you to a 24h streetcar). Probably won't win any awards based off what I wrote earlier, but probably deserves at least an honourable mention. I specifically bring it up because not only is it a low traffic airport, but I'd argue its actually really good if you're heading between Toronto and any North Eastern US city. Proximity to Union Station means you get access to the entire GO train network (+ GO is now fare integrated with TTC Streetcars/Subway), and porter flights can take you to Airports like Dulles, Newark, and important for this list - Logan and Midway. Only real problem is that Porter isn't the cheapest airline, and unfortunately Billy Bishop doesn't have US preclearance *yet* (although apparently its getting preclearance in 2025). Plus its too small for jets so if you're a weirdo who doesn't like propeller planes, perhaps you're better off going through the hell on earth known as Pearson.
Points also to Billy Bishop for being an airport you can take a ferry to!
Good point about comparing transit vs car time. I think that definitely is the metric to best. Any airport/city where it is cheaper and faster for a family of 4 to take transit than a taxi is a success in my book. Airport surcharges are fine for those traveling alone but they add up quickly with a family.
An excellent point. Travel times that are short mean that the airport is taking up valuable space within the city, rather than a sprawling airport and all of the hard surfaces that it requires. He even criticized the placement of the airport in San Diego. while at the same time giving it credit for the short travel times created by the terrible placement of the airport. Pick a side man do you like airports taking up valuable city space or are you willing to sit a few more minutes on a train to get to an airport well-placed away from the central city?
I think it depends if you are comparing them to rank the city or to rank the travel experience.
My fellow Bostonians have pointed out that in addition to the Blue Line and the Silver Line, there is ferry service to and from Logan. Wanted to add that there is also an express bus to and from Copley Square. So there are four imperfect public transit options for Logan
Near the end I really thought my beloved Salt Lake City would make the list, with how fast our $2.50 TRAX line to the airport gets you downtown and back, about 18 hours a day. 15 minute weekday and saturday frequency… but I guess that 30min Sunday frequency kills your chances on this list. I also feel like KSLC enjoys a “Goldilocks” distance from downtown, juuust right.
I've done a 5.5hr layover at Minneapolis and can definitely vouch for the good access! We had enough time to navigate around a few of the downtown districts by foot. Unfortunately it was a Sunday so a lot less stuff was open but it was still fun!
I know Pittsburgh is not on this list, but I think it deserves a dishonorable mention. During peak times, enough people can build up waiting that they can't fit into a single 28X.
I actually did a project improving San Diego's Transit System and added a line that could go from downtown to the airport in 6 minutes. However, because the airport connection is pretty good I did not rank that expansion super high. As a frequent flyer from SAN, I can say the Old Town Airport Shuttle is also really good!
If I have to take an airport shuttle just to get to transit, the airport shouldn't be on this list.
For Logan if you're off peak (early morning on weekends especially) then the SL1 (which is free) is the better bet. One seat ride that without traffic really flies.
Living in St. Louis, the metrolink is super convenient to get to the airport, especially with super short TSA lines. But the 20 minute headways and the terrible start and end times has had me planning my flights around whether I need to spend more for a later flight or if its more worth it for rideshare for an earlier flight. I don't know how much more expensive it could be to make those available for one of the largest reasons people go out there outside of working hours
I feel like Dallas Love Field should be on here or at least an honorable mention. It’s $3 with no airport surcharge, takes 25 mins, and runs like every 15 mins and starts at like 4AM even on Sundays. I could see maybe if you limited to one seat, but then again, PHX and MIA are on here.
I will say that I spent a week in CDMX and took transit and was fairly disappointed - the subway was extremely crowded and even the BRT was crowded and unreliable
I resent Logan being rated so highly because the blue line won't be running early enough for my 7am flight in a couple weeks
Denver is like the 4th busiest airport in the US, but it's actually so far from the city the direct lightrail connection doesn't even matter.
I don't exactly agree. Denver moved the airport out of the city, which is arguably a better land use idea. The A line is 37 min and runs every 15 min from 4:15 am. There are also a number of buses. If you are not going downtown, that is a tough one. Personally I use the A line about monthly. 5 min Lyft to Union station, 37 min on the train.
But, most people do just drive/Lyft.
It definitely does matter, it's the most used rail line in the city. With some further TOD Development along the A, it could compete with DC's Silver Line or CTA's Blue Line in terms of ridership.
I wonder if Denver could offer express versions of the train, rather than stopping at 5 or 6 places along the way. Kind of like New York does with a lot of its north/south subway lines. That would make it a better deal without any infrastructure reengineering.
@powderdropzone No you're totally right, I just mean it doesn't matter for this list. I think it's a decent idea to have such a big airport outside the city.
It could easily be 10 miles closer and still be on the edge of the city
Airports are tricky for public transit, as they don't really have enough draw for rapid transit, people have lots of baggage, and they THINK they have more baggage than fits on transit, and due to airport height limitations there's rarely any other travel demand in the area.
And yet, it's essential.
I think airports have more features that lend themselves to good transit service than problems. They generally have fairly consistent all-day, two-way demand, which is lore economical to meet than peaky demand. Parking is often expensive and a pain the ass, making non driving modes more attractive. And although they tend to get in outer part of cities with less density, they offer more demand than anything else in similar parts of the city. The other option is rail lines that fade into nothing at the end.
IMHO, the best you're likely to be able to do is having a short shuttle line that takes you from the actual train station to the airport. Or, do like Seatac does and have the entire walkway be covered with a courtesy shuttle and the ability to bring one of those luggage carts all the way to the train platform. He really knocked the walk to between the airport and light rail, but it's really not that big of a deal. It's flat, and covered and there is a shuttle much of the day.
I love Mexico City, but I wouldn’t let go of my bag on Metrobus. The only time I have ever had my pocket picked was on Metrobus and they got items out of both my front pockets at the same time.
I think you underrate how shitty a transfer is when you're traveling with luggage. I can't imagine ever having Boston be on that list, when you need to take a bus just to get to your train.
Also, while I do agree that bus transit is overhated in the airport connection space, I don't think it's fair to put any connection that relies on buses on this list. If I'm traveling by myself as a dude, yeah no issues catching a bus to get somewhere. If I'm somewhere with my family, if it's rush hour, if the route is used by non-airport travelers? Then buses and even subway trips quickly become very uncomfortable, and while some people don't view comfort as being important when discussing transit issues, I do think that you underrate it.
I don't think _any_ rail system is going to do great when you have two 50-pound checked bags, plus your carry-on and laptop. Or three kids to keep track of. But Boston isn't a college _town_ , it's a college _city_ . Lots of people for whom the Silver Line works well. The Blue Line really needs to stop about a quarter of a mile closer to the airport for it to be useful; I found my best bet was just to take the bus to South Station (which picked up a block from my house), then the Silver Line to the airport. Or take a cab from about midnight - 8 am.
@jorymil I think airport express trains are obviously the nicest in terms of experience (UPX in Toronto, Narita Express in Tokyo, etc.) but also can be rather pricey. I guess it's a bit of a subjective thing what's more important-price or comfort.
@@jorymilI take red line-silver line, but it’s pretty rough when there’s traffic in the Ted Williams - makes the travel time unpredictable which is not great for getting to the airport! I also find the unpredictable wait for the silver line unpleasant especially at night in winter
Hey, at least those buses allow luggage aboard. That’s not the case for the only transit connection to SJU.
11:15 it’s actually only $5 now for a city pass ticket that lets you go between Jamaica and any of the Manhattan LIRR stations. But you’re right - at $13.50/person, the moment you have 2 or 3 people an Uber is going to be cheaper.
BWI isn't considered a major airport, but the light rail to Downtown is pretty good.
How did you come to that conclusion when it services 2 of the 6 largest cities in the NE Corridor?
When I lived in Portland by Providence Park or Jeld-Wen Field or whatever it's called now, the train to the airport was great. When I moved to North Portland, it sucked, even though I was technically much closer to the airport. I guess there's something to be said about how all transit systems are designed such that they assume everyone is trying to get to the city center - which is mostly probably true, but how it might create a chicken-and-egg situation where economic development doesn't happen when you (for example) have a neighborhood that is only a few miles away from the airport but you can't get there on transit without traveling via Timbuktu.
It's still Providence Park! I live a short walk away.
The fact that LA Metro doesn't run a bus from the end of the K line to LAX.... just, come on.
You always know how to make a great video!
I'm surprised no one has talked about dfw or love field. Those 2 airports are pretty great dfw is great for those without a car and want to travel international while love field is great for getting anywhere into dallas
I was shocked not to see PDX at the top. The Max light rail starts right out the door of the airport and gets you to downtown Portland in (haven't checked this) 15 or 20 minutes? It's amazing.
It's about 30 minutes to downtown to Pioneer Square. I get off off at the NE 60th and it is a around 17 minutes since they fixed the connection at Gateway to make it more efficient.
Cleveland woot woot!
Another decent connection is the 2X bus from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky to downtown Cincinnati. Seems similar to ABQ.
ATL needs to be dinked more. 75-80% of weekends they don't run their published Sunday schedule, instead running a "special" single tracking schedule with service every 20-24 min fom the airport, which sucks
Yes, I was waiting for that comment. Unless there's a special major event going on downtown on the weekend, the red line doesn't go to the airport. During the weekday during peak times they've actually increased frequency, every 6 minutes to the airport
It seems like larger airports in larger cities got penalized in most cases due to their distant locations. But if you want to take a trip to a city without having to rent a car, you would want to go to a city that has the bang for the buck if that makes since. So if you think the PATH train out of Newark Liberty is lackluster, think again. The fact of the matter that you can take a train from Newark to lower Manhattan is actually priceless. On the other hand I've had friends go out to LA and rideshare all over the place. I told them why would you do that. When I go to LA I just rent a car for $35/day. Its a no brainer. I remember when Bell Taxi ran Vegas. You could reserve one of their limos for the same price as taxi service. But most didn't know that.
Vegas was terrible. LAX is bad, but getting better. Copenhagen is amazing. DCA wins, and Dulles is better than it was even if the Silver line is slow.
Edit: SFO is excellent, but I stan BART even if it is loud. Oakland (aka San Francisco now...) is also fine. Tampa was traaaaash. Logan is fine. NYC airports are a mixed bag. Rather figure out Newark than JFK. BWI can be good, but only during peak hours.
Great list, I guessed el DF ( oops, CDMX) would walk off with first prize. But I have a small pick: you didn't mention Boston's Boston's ferry connection to downtown. In the time it takes to shuttle to the Airport subway station, you can shuttle to the ferry dock (depending on your starting terminal it might be faster). Yeah, it's only once an hour. Yeah, it dumps you at the aquarium so unless your staying on or near the waterfront you have to transfer (the blue line from the airport is right there). But Street View the ferry terminal and seriously tell me that on a nice summer day -- or evening -- and you're traveling light, you would NOT want THAT VIEW arriving into a new city. And yes, you can stand outside on the boat. Plane Nerds can stand on the back and watch the action at Logan. Others will want to smell the sea air as downtown looms up before you. The thirsty and unimaginative will just sit inside and hit the bar. 🎉
Yeah, it's got a bar. No who wants to take the bus?
Washington: beware of frequent service outages, so always plan an extra half hour to detour via blue or yellow depending on which went down.
Any thoughts on Lambert Field in Saint Louis? I'm not surprised it didn't make the list on this one. The headways are 20 minutes to downtown, and about a half hour trip one way on Metro Link. Also, they have an additional charge from Lambert Field as well. A one way trip on Metro Link is normally $2.50, but from Lambert Field is a $4 fare. However, it runs 20 hours a day 7 days a week.
I took MetroLink to STL at like 4:30am on a weekend morning. I was impressed that that was possible!
I was surprised it didn’t even get any mention at all- solid light rail line connecting straight to downtown. It will be interesting with the new Metrolink expansion the Red line will terminate at an airport at both ends.
As someone who’s flown somewhat recently from Boston to San Diego, the 992 is such a great option, even by the standards of more transit-oriented cities. I think it’s underappreciated how *easy* it actually is to make a frequent, useful bus service in cities that, ironically, have overbuilt road infrastructure and car-centrism. It’s purely a matter of will rather than resources: the roads are already there, the stops are cheap, *all* these places need to do is run more buses more often. It’s low effort and high reward. A dedicated rail connection would be better, but buses can do great things with just a little bit of effort.
I’d love to see an American or Canadian airport build a massive transportation hub for local, regional and national transit. Sort of like Amsterdam Schiphol or Frankfurt Airport
Toronto will be the closest one, with currently the airport ink Union-Pearson express, future Line 5 & 6 LRT lines meeting at the airport, and possibly a GO & Via Rail terminal underground who knows.
Montreal could so too if they do an extension of the REM at YUL to Dorval Station and connect to the Exo Bus Terminal, Exo and Via Rail Train platforms.
Don’t forget Brussels-Zaventem, they have an underground train station at the airport connecting to mainline regional and intercity services. Even a train to Schipol! future plans have it be connected with tram and metro than just the airport bus routes of STIB/MIVB, De Lijn, and TEC.
A true dishonorable mention: Oklahoma City, population 700,000, has no transit to the airport at all.
Not even an hourly bus? That's nuts.
It would be nice to always mention a few international examples to see how the US actually stacks up.
I think the mistake you've made with this is looking at it from the perspective of a passenger. I'd be interested in a ranking of airports from the perspective of someone who works at the airport at weird hours, such as a baggage handler. If the airport offers free parking for these workers but makes transit really expensive, nearly all of these workers will drive if they have any choice in the matter.
MIDWAY!! :) ALL. THE. WAY!!!!
San Diego!! Smoothest bike assembly to on the road of all my "bike in a box" air travels to a big city.
Dublin was easy but I was heading north to newgrange vs to Dublin
For Boston Logan, I will say that, if you need to get there earlier, there are a few buses that take an alternate route between 4 AM and 5 AM that takes them to the airport. I was able to get to the airport by 4:45 on one of those buses
Besides the Silver and Blue Lines, BOS is also served by the very convenient Logan Express busses which had lines going to Back Bay as well as to the suburbs/outlaying cities. Most of those are outside the scope of this video, but they’re great and mean you don’t need to drive through the city.
I used to do those when I lived in the western suburbs. Didn't know they stopped at Back Bay station, though: I might have used that once in a while.
Mexico City is a place. I have always wanted to go. Far more advanced city than Mom and Dad give it credit for.
Go!
FYI, for JFK it's actually 5 bucks off-peak and 7 on-peak using city ticket now (from Jamaica)
I love the OAK BART connection, mostly just because it’s cute. It’s not cheap or fast, but it is convenient since there’s only two terminals, and it’s right between both of their exits/entrances