Portland tops public transportation list

TriMet's MAX Green Line light rail.

U.S. News and World Report ranks Portland No. 1 in its list of the top 10 cities for public transportation. One key element that puts TriMet heads above the rest is the free zone downtown – a.k.a. "Fareless Square" – where light rail and streetcar rides are free all day every day. Portland also gets accolades for providing a variety of travel options, including buses, light rail, commuter rail, streetcars and an aerial tram.

The rankings take into account per capita spending on public transportation, number of safety incidents per million trips, and the number of trips taken per capita. But apparently not budget cuts. As The Oregonian notes that TriMet is also running on red ink.

Here's the top 10 list:

1. Portland, OR

2. Salt Lake City

3. New York

4. Boston

5. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

6. San Francisco

7. Los Angeles

8. Honolulu

9 (tie). Denver

9 (tie). Austin