Berlin’s inner-city transportation system has worked very well and I use it multiple times every day. Granted there have been times when it seems like I’m continually “just missing” a tram or subway, but it has beat other alternatives (by far).Â
After arriving at the airport, I was able to get a one month pass for 77 € to ride all the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses that I wanted to across most of Berlin. This seemed like a great deal to me. When I checked, Boston offers a $70/month subway+ bus pass and NYC offers an unlimited NYC MetroCard (subway & bus) for $104/month. Berlin (like NYC) is a 24X7 city and the transportation system supports that.
Funny thing is, I’ve never really had to show my pass. There are no turnstiles here and everyone is just on the good old honor system (unlike Boston or NYC or any system in the U.S.). Also, outside of a couple exceptions on the weekends, I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for any service.
The Berlin network is really four systems that are linked together:
U-Bahn – the underground railway or subway
S-Bahn – rapid transit train system, mostly above ground, that is integrated with the U-Bahn
Trams – above ground trams/street cars most of which are in the former East Berlin
Buses – cover most of the rest of the city
I’m only occasionally on a bus, although they have double-decker ones that offer a great way to see the city. Most of the time is via the other three systems.
It also makes you realize the importance of mass transit in supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems of the future, particularly those that are also geared to attract to young talent that want to live in the city and may not have (or want) a car.
When the first startup ecosystems starting sprouting 25 years ago in Silicon Valley and Route 128 (Boston), they were suburban-oriented models – you drove your car to the office park. If you didn’t have a car, I’m guessing you caught a ride with someone else or you lived really close to work.
Although Caltrain now runs through the middle of peninsula (servicing those working in downtown San Fran, Mountain View or Palo Alto) and you could ride the commuter train out from Boston to the suburbs, for the most part the schedules only support this well during rush hour. Plus, outside of San Fran, god forbid if you need to connect to any type of supporting transportation network once you arrive.
As the urbanization of entrepreneurship continues to happen, look for cities that have a strong public transportation system to have an inherent advantage, particularly for attracting younger people. It will be interesting to watch how this continues to play out in Silicon Valley & San Francisco where the “old” and “new” models are in close proximity. Some may already consider it the case, but my money is on San Fran to become the center of gravity for new companies.