I wish greenies would get more objective. The Treehugger blog rails at every indignity to the environment in a loud voice. But which green projects are highest priority?
A bus is better than a personal vehicle, but BEST OF ALL are subways and commuter trains.
I’ve never used the Moscow subway system, but have always heard it was great. Mexico City is a dream. You can get anywhere quickly and easily.
Here are diagrams of the two excellent transportation systems:
from subway systems of the world – Fake is the new real
Big cities singled out for terrible train service: Beijing, Toronto.
(But Beijing is making big plans.)
In my town we have the LRT (Light Rail Transit) and it is fantastic — IF you can get to and from the train by foot, bike or bus.
The first thing I would do for the EARTH here is build more LRT capacity.
Then improve the bike trails to get to the LRT stations.
Everyone agrees, in theory. But when it comes to approving the capital cost of new train capacity, we get balkers. (Decision makers drive to work in big personal vehicles.)
But trains really are the most cost effective transport:
LRT cost efficiency improves dramatically as ridership increases. the Calgary, Alberta C-Train used many common light rail techniques to keep costs low, including minimizing underground and elevated trackage, sharing transit malls with buses, leasing rights-of-way from freight railroads, and combining LRT construction with freeway expansion. As a result, Calgary ranks toward the less expensive end of the scale with capital costs of around $24 million per mile
However, Calgary’s LRT ridership is much higher than any comparable U.S. city at over 250,000 rides per weekday and as a result its efficiency of capital is also much higher. Its capital costs were ⅓ that of the San Diego system, a comparably sized one in the U.S., while its ridership is well over twice as high. Thus, Calgary’s capital cost per weekday rider is less than 1/6 that of San Diego. Its operating costs are also lower. A typical C-Train vehicle costs only $163 per hour to operate, and since it averages 600 passengers per operating hour, [18] Calgary Transit estimates that its LRT operating costs are only 27 cents per ride, versus $1.50 per ride on its buses.
Cost – Wikipedia
Needless to say, Calgary Transit charges riders C$2.25 for a ticket on either LRT or bus. We have plenty of buses driving around town empty.
(via Treehugger)
Lest I come off too enthusiastic about Calgary Transit, let me add I’ve found them arrogant, wasteful idiots for the most part. But they have done a good job with the LRT.
Rick McCharles 
having lived for months at a time in many cities where the Subway was the only viable method of transport, I have to agree that when the system works it is great. Japan is a dream – and almost every city we lived in allowed us easy access to almost anywhere via train – and they are NEVER late. I also liked the systems in Madrid, London (although I know Londoners complain about it), New York, Osaka, Bilbao and Brussels was not bad either. The worst for me – MOntreal. Hate it. If you are not on a line, you have to take a bus – not fun in winter – to connect. And the time between trains is painstakingly long. Montrealers think it is good – I beg to differ.
And finally, Las Vegas. Is there any public transport here?
You can’t even get a cab in Vegas unless you are on the strip.
Indeed, it is a huge problem here. But I have discovered a taxi driver who lives around the corner from my house!
Moscow was exceptional. They even had museum quality art in the stations. Some of the longest elevators you will ever see, as well. It helped to have a handle on your destination’s name in Cyrillic beofre you started, though… I thought it was the best system I’ve been on. Osaka’s was great, and SO safe even young children rode it alone. New York’s will get you there, but you might want to be armed on certain lines, especially at night. For the Bronx, it was better at night to take a real train. Haven’t tried all of the ones on your list, though.